Merlin the Return
by Fireflame86
Summary: Like others, I was very much saddened that Merlin came to an end. I have therefore written this story, an alternative ending of what happens after the Battle of Camlann with Arthur surviving as king, Merlin living by his side as a known sorcerer, the mysteries of Aithusa explained and how the Land of Albion unites. Hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: The Dragon's Visitor**

In a Land of Magic and a Time of Myth …

No wait, that wasn't right.

In a Time of Magic and a Land of Myth …

No, still not right.

In a Land of Myth and a Time of Magic …

That was better. Age was really creeping up on Kilgharrah and it was beginning to show in that old enemy of wrinkles and creaky bones – the hindrance of memory problems. Not that it mattered too much at this moment in time, however; the Young Warlock had fulfilled his destiny so magnificently that the Great Dragon had a tough time hiding just how pleased he was. Admittedly, there had been some concern over the fate of the Once and Future King when Kilgarrah had found them at Avalon, the king looking as though he were on his last legs, so pale and weak was he; but they had managed to submerge him into the lake just in time and Arthur had survived. It had been two weeks since this epic occurrence; the witch was finally dead and the Land of Albion could at last be united, as had been foretold by the prophecy all those years ago. Those years of toil and bloodshed had finally brought about the peace that so many had desperately fought and died for; it was the end of the war between sorcery and normal men, where the wizard could shake hands with the soldier and neither would feel resentment or hatred for the other; the destruction of the deep-rooted abhorrence for magic that Uther Pendragon (Kilgharrah's wide nostrils flared at the thought of that name) had instigated could finally begin. At last, the Land of Albion could be united in all its glory and, as for Kilgharrah, he could settle down, sleep and look forward to the final slumber that had been whispering his name ever so softly as of late.

However, it was not to be quite so simple as that.

It was the breathing that caught his attention first. There was only one type of creature that breathed in that specific way and it could only be another of his kind. And as there was only one other dragon that existed, there was just one name that Kilgharrah could speak aloud to greet his visitor.

"Aithusa," he said, turning slowly towards the entrance of his cave, the stars twinkling brightly in the night sky.

The white dragon showed herself just then. Despite the small dragon having been in league with the evil witch, Kilgharrah could not help the stab of pity and sorrow that shot through him at the sight of his new companion. The Light of the Sun had been mistreated so horrifically at the hands of the cruellest of men that her growth had been stunted, her heart blackened and her soul weakened. The soul of the dragon was the most important aspect of the creature's being; what Aithusa had been through made one shudder at the very thought and it was for this reason that Kilgharrah felt only compassion in his heart at the sight of her. This dishevelled, broken beast was a far cry from the beautiful, bright baby dragon that Merlin had rescued all that time ago. But it was not just sorrow and sympathy Kilgharrah felt; there was guilt also. She had been his ward, he had been her guardian. She had betrayed him and he had failed to protect her. Many times, he thought to himself that it was their last encounter that had drove her to Morgana. When he had found out she had saved the witch, his anger had been colossal … He had not thought he would see her again before death came for him … yet here she was.

"Why are you here, Aithusa?" he said, finally meeting her eyes.

Of course, she could not speak. The men that had tortured her had rendered her speechless. She limped into the cave … she had a permanent limp from where the men had repeatedly smashed her legs with metal poles. She moved right up to Kilgharrah and stared at him with her large, sad eyes.

Kilgharrah met her gaze; his heart was heavy.

"You betrayed me, Aithusa. Betrayed your own destiny. But she is gone. The witch is dead. What will you do now?"

At this, the white dragon crouched, lowered her head and moaned loudly. Though she could not speak, the Great Dragon was still able to sense her emotions.

"You have forgotten … it was Merlin who rescued you and gave you your name. How could you expect me to approve of your actions when you saved the witch? You knew she was Merlin's greatest enemy. Now look what has become of you … A destiny of such twists and turns, Aithusa … Another example of how beauty can turn to ugliness, how light can turn to darkness, of how our destinies truly lie in our own hands. But you and your mistress failed. Arthur lives with Merlin by his side. How ironic that the world the witch wanted so badly should come to pass at the will of her enemies. Her hatred and anger consumed her. I am only sorry that you too fell victim to it."

Aithusa moaned again, louder this time. The Great Dragon dropped his gaze.

"Yes … I think about it all the time. Your betrayal. And my failure as your guardian. You must know I am not long for this world, Aithusa. What is it you ask of me?"

The white dragon shuffled nearer and laid herself at the feet of Kilgharrah. Her eyes shone with tears as she looked into his eyes. Inside, beneath his tough dragon exterior, his heart cried.

"Yes … it is time that Merlin knew who your mother was and the connection you had before you were hatched. I will take you to him … and perhaps I too can atone for the sin I committed when I failed to keep you safe."

At this, the Great Dragon nuzzled the white dragon and led her outside the cave towards the great Court of Camelot where it appeared Aithusa was finally going to fulfil the destiny that had been written for her, one that vanquished the darkness that had tainted her and instead brought with it a beauty and light, the same light that had filled her heart with such love and purity on the day she was hatched.

In Camelot itself, a king was on a mission.

"Merlin! Where the hell is Merlin? MEEEERRRRRLIIIINNN!"

"Is something wrong, Sire?" came the amiable voice of Gaius, looking up as the king came bursting into the physician's room, his face flustered and panicky.

"Yes, Gaius, something is very wrong. Merlin is nowhere to be found and the Knights Ceremony is in three hours. There are clothes that need washing, boots that need cleaning and a tunic that needs mending. I am correct in thinking, I believe, that Merlin will have no problem doing this in the space of an hour as he has magic." His face relaxed and softened at this moment.

"You know, Gaius, I still can't believe it sometimes … Merlin a sorcerer. And such a great one at that … When I remember this, it's hard to believe he still wishes to continue being my servant."

Gaius smiled.

"Merlin would have it no other way, Sire. He lives to serve you, as he has from the day you met."

"Well, he absolutely refused to live as a courtier; said he enjoys cleaning my boots, would you believe it, Gaius? Eventually, I relented. I'll never be able to express my gratitude towards him. He's been as great a friend could possibly be and a true warrior at that. I know I have said it many times before, but I owe him my life."

"We all do, Your Majesty."

"Indeed. Thank you, Gaius. When you see Merlin, tell him to do my boots, will you?"

He turned to walk away before stopping in his tracks.

"And say 'please' when you ask him. I will see you later on at the ceremony."

"I shall, Sire. See you later."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: The Arrival**

The Knights Ceremony was a celebrated event held every year to honour the brave knights of Camelot, those who lived to serve with the greatest honour and courage, and those who had died in their duty protecting the kingdom. This year the event would hold more weight than ever considering recent circumstances. The loss of Sir Gawain, murdered at the hands of Morgana, was one that each and every citizen of Camelot felt, mourning deeply at the thought of this brave, colourful knight who would never again ride out to battle; no more would the ladies of the city swoon and giggle whenever Gawain flattered them with his charming words; never would Sir Percival (who felt the loss of their comrade greater than anyone else, as it had been he who sat by his side and held him as he passed into the other world) and the other knights laugh and jest with their joker of the pack; at the Round Table there now sat a lonely seat, once held by a knight so brave and a friend so dear. He would be honoured greatly at the ceremony, just as the legendary Sir Lancelot and the courageous Sir Elyan were when they, too, met the hand of death.

Outside, making his way towards the doors of the castle, was a tall, gangly man with sparkling blue eyes and a distinctive jaunt in his step that even the most dim eye would be able to spot from a distance. Merlin, otherwise known as Emrys, the servant of King Arthur and the greatest sorcerer the world has ever seen, who defeated Morgana, destroyed her armies and saved the life of the king, was on his way to visit Gaius in order to deliver the herbs that the physician had requested of him that morning. An ordinary day in the life of Merlin, as far as he was concerned, and he wouldn't have it any other way …

Of course, there had been changes. It would have been laughable if there had not. After all those years, Merlin's secret was finally out in the open. It had been a close call … At the Battle of Camlann, Mordred had pierced his blade right through Arthur, just as Kilgarrah and Alator had warned. Merlin, who had lost his magic prior to the battle, was only just in time to save Arthur from dying the slow, poisonous death of the blade, forged by a dragon's breath. At one point, Merlin thought he had lost the king … and of all the things he had been through, it was this that frightened him more than anything in the world. But they had emerged victorious and, with the help of Kilgarrah, Arthur was returned to Camelot where he belonged, much to the overwhelming joy of Queen Guinevere and the knights. During that dark time in the forest after the battle, Merlin had revealed to Arthur how he was a sorcerer. At first, Arthur had been abhorrent of the idea; as he had laid there dying, the disbelief and betrayal he felt was palpable on his face and Merlin wondered if he had done the right thing.

As it turned out, he had done exactly the right thing. As he healed over the next few days and though he was at first rather distant with his servant, Arthur's sense of betrayal was greatly overshadowed by the realization that Merlin had risked his own life time and time again for his king and country; that he had saved the life of his king on a number of occasions; and that despite all this, he had never once sought praise or gratitude for his selfless actions. Still mesmerized that the most unlikely person held such great power, the feelings of gratitude and appreciation consumed the king. If there was any proof that magic was not evil, that it was not tyrannical or cruel, it was in Merlin, whose great heart and remarkable courage had been the pillar of strength for Camelot. Though he did not tell anyone, Arthur vowed that the man who called himself his servant would be honoured above all others. First came the offering of courtier status, which Merlin politely declined much to the king's surprised raised eyebrows. Then came the order to have at least four days off a week – and while Merlin agreed to this, the following days proved he had no intention of sticking to it. It seemed that everything would be returning back to how it once was – the only difference being that the servant who had so faithfully scrubbed the boots of the king was now known as the most powerful sorcerer alive.

This was the world that Merlin had longed for, to be accepted for having magic and to stand by Arthur's side and help him build Albion and unite the land. There was still much work to be done – but the two most crucial aspects had been completed: Morgana's demise and Merlin's exposure. At last, the world would become as it should.

"Ah – there you are, Merlin," said Gaius, rising from his seat as the young man entered the room. "I see you have the herbs. You know, it really isn't necessary for you to run these errands for me anymore. Everyone knows who you are."

Merlin shook his head, holding the bag of herbs out to Gaius.

"I want to do it," he said. "Sorcerer or not, I don't intend to stop helping you prepare your remedies or collect herbs for you."

"But after everything you've done, Merlin. You saved us all, you really shouldn't be running tedious errands anymore for an old man."

Merlin chuckled.

"Gaius, I intend to run these errands for you when _I'm _an old man. And say no more about it – you're getting to be as bad as Arthur. He tried to force me into accepting a four-poster bed the other day; imagine fitting a bed like that in my tiny room, it would look absurd. Fortunately, though, I think he's getting a little more used to the idea of me continuing my duties as his servant. He asked me to polish the armour yesterday – with magic too!"

"Ah yes – Arthur was in here earlier looking for you. Wants you to do some cleaning before the ceremony tonight. He also said to say 'please'."

"Really? Arthur saying 'please'? That's almost as bad as offering me the bed."

At that moment, Sir Leon entered the room. He bowed low to Merlin and Merlin shifted in an embarrassed way; having a knight bow to him was not something he could ever see himself getting used to.

"Hi Leon, no need for that," said Merlin quickly, and Gaius smiled behind him. "How are you?"

"I am fine, Merlin, and yourself?" said Sir Leon, rising.

"Quite well, thanks. I was going to find the king and get started on the polishing for the ceremony tonight."

Sir Leon's eyes shifted rather urgently between Merlin and Gaius.

"It is best that you do find the king, for he has requested the presence of both of you immediately in the council chambers."

Merlin shot Gaius a quick look.

"What does it concern?" he asked Sir Leon.

"It is best that you come yourself, sir."

Merlin and Gaius nodded and followed Leon out of the room and into the council chambers where King Arthur was sitting on his throne, the queen next to him and the Knights of the Round Table standing regally before them. They saluted Merlin and Gaius as they both entered.

"Sire," said Merlin, bowing low. "You called for me?"

Arthur rose, his heart warming as it always did whenever he saw his friend.

"Yes, Merlin, I did. And not just because I wish you to polish my boots – though of course that will need to be done before tonight. Merlin – and Gaius. There is something I wish to ask of you … Have you ever heard of the Holy Grail?"

There was a slight pause.

"Yes, indeed, Sire," said Gaius. "The Holy Grail, according to legend, was a cup said to possess godly powers. It was said that it chooses only the most worthy of men, the purest of heart and the height of valour to find it and drink from it."

"Not too different from the Cup of Life then?" said Arthur.

"Oh no, it is very different. The Cup of Life can be drank from by anybody – the Holy Grail is very different. It places much value on the strength of one's heart. It has been lost for hundreds of years – some claim it does not even exist. May I ask why you enquire about it, my lord?"

"Yes, Gaius. Not just mere curiosity. But I wanted you both here when we meet him. Percival, will you show him in?"

Mystified, Merlin turned towards the doors of the chambers as Sir Percival opened them, ushering in a man who slowly entered the room. This man was dressed in normal civilian clothes; he was young, in his early twenties perhaps. His face was bronzed and handsome, his eyes a piercing green, his jaw strong and bearded. There was an air about him that was graceful and accommodating as he strode towards the king and queen, bowing low.

"Your Majesties," said the man. "This is the greatest honour."

"You are most welcome," replied Arthur.

The man turned towards Merlin, bowing once again.

"Sir, your powers are spoken of far and wide. It is an honour to meet you."

"Thank you," said Merlin, bemused.

The man similarly bowed to Gaius and the knights. Then he turned back to the king.

"I would like to thank your highness for granting me an audience today. I am a mere commoner and it fills my heart that the nobility of his majesty is as true as they claim."

"Commoners and royalty are all as one where it truly matters," replied the king. "What brings you to the court today?"

"I come with the intent to join your knights, sir. I hear that you will consider even the lowest man if he can prove himself worthy enough to sit at your table. I wish to prove myself by embarking on a quest for an object that has been lost for many years."

The king's eyes sharpened in curiosity.

"You interest me," he told the man. "And you told my knight that it is the Holy Grail you speak of?"

"Yes, Sire. The same one that Christ drank from, the one that is said to possess great powers."

"This is daring of you. What has made you come with such a request? Potential knights traditionally follow a series of challenges in order to become a member of the knights of the round table."

"Sire, if I may be so bold to say so, I feel there can be no greater proof of a man's worth than to succeed in the quest for the Holy Grail. Throughout my life I have tried to live with both honour and courage, but only where my heart rules above all else, for I feel that there is little point in living unless one lives with all one's heart and soul; to live for others and to give to them as one would wish to be given to. The tales of your greatness, and the greatness of your knights, your comrades and your people, travel far and wide. There is no king that I would wish to serve more than your majesty."

"Your passion is most intriguing," said Arthur. "I would be interested to hear this in more depth. As it stands, I would be happy to invite you to our ceremony tonight. There you may experience first-hand how the Knights of Camelot operate. But first, please. Tell us your name."

"My name," said the man, his eyes shifting from each person in the room before resting on Arthur once more, "is Galahad."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Kilgharrah's Request**

It was late when Merlin settled down to sleep that night. The Ceremony had lasted for several hours, as was tradition, and it had been an overwhelmingly emotional event. Many tears were shed when King Arthur spoke of those who were no longer with them and many cheers resonated throughout the room when he honoured those who still were. One man in particular was given a particularly special speech and his cheeks turned flaming red when it happened.

"There is one man here today who must be revered above all others," Arthur had said, his sword raised in respect, as were the swords of the knights'. Guinevere smiled and looked towards the one Arthur spoke of.

"Were it not for this remarkable person, neither myself nor Camelot would be standing today. I speak, of course, of Merlin."

Everybody cheered so loudly that Arthur's next words were drowned out. A gradual hush descended when Sir Leon motioned everyone for silence.

"All these years, Merlin has been protecting his king and country with a secret that I never would have believed. Magic, at the insistence of my father, has been viewed by many as a source of evil; I myself was not exempt to this belief. But Merlin has proved to me that magic can be used for great good, not just great evil, the type of evil that my sister wielded, destroying the lives of so many good, decent people. Merlin has taught me that it is entirely possible for those with magic to live in harmony with the rest of us; his self-sacrifices over the years, whilst not once seeking recognition for his actions, have shown me that those with magic are no different to any of us, that there are many out there who uphold the same virtues that this land was built on. My goal now is to ensure that the Land of Albion welcomes magic and those who use it with open arms, for us to live in harmony and acceptance and for the sorcerer and the soldier to stand as friends, not enemies. We owe to Merlin a greater debt than any of us could ever repay, not just for saving our lives and our land, but for the honour he has displayed, the friendship he has given us – and of course his excellent cleaning skills when mucking out the stables."

There was an appreciative echo of laughter around the hall at this last comment; Arthur smiled at Merlin, who grinned back, his cheeks rather red.

"To Merlin," said the King, his sword pointing high in the air. "A true knight of Camelot – and the best friend I could ever ask for."

"To Merlin!" were the shouts that boomed throughout the room, simultaneous swords raised in respect towards the young, bashful sorcerer who was being patted on the back by Gaius; never would he have imagined being appreciated in such a way, yet it was happening and the happiness that ran through him was too powerful to express in words.

The ceremony carried on well into the night and there was a feast prepared in order to close it. Arthur sat with Guinevere on one side of him and Merlin on the other, tucking into a breast of pheasant and sipping on his goblet of mead. The knights chomped away, talking with one another in high spirits about the defeat of Morgana and the demise of bloody war with sorcery, and speaking with sadness when they looked at the empty seats that should have been occupied by Gawain and Elyan. Galahad, the young man who had sought at audience with Arthur earlier, was there also. He spoke of the Holy Grail and his desire to find it, explaining that he had been driven to the court by a vision of the Grail's whereabouts and receiving the knowledge in a dream that he must go to King Arthur, request to become a knight and set upon the journey to find the cup.

"Have you magic then?" said Arthur once Galahad recounted his story.

"No, Sire, no magic that I know of. There have been a few occasions where I have had a dream or vision that has meant something important, such as now, and at times I can sense how a person is feeling … But no magic to actually speak of."

"Interesting," mused Arthur.

Sir Percival and another knight called Sir Tristan were particularly interested in the Holy Grail. Percival expressed his wish to accompany Galahad on the quest, should he embark on it, and Arthur – recalling how broken Percival had been following the death of Gawain, and realizing the quest may help mend his spirit – had no objections.

"But I want more research into this cup," said Arthur, as Guinevere poured some more mead into his goblet, "before anyone attempts to find it. I assume that such a journey would be no easy feat. Gaius, would you find out more?"

"I shall, Sire," said Gaius with a nod of his head.

When the feast was over, Merlin went to his room and climbed into bed, blew out his candle on the other side of the room (with magic, of course) and fell asleep within minutes. But he was awoken shortly afterwards by a voice that brought back such a wave of memories that he almost jumped out of his skin.

"_Merlin … Merlin …_"

The powerful feeling of déjà vu swept over him as he sat up in bed. Years ago, when he had only been a boy and had just arrived at Camelot, this exact same voice whispered his name in his sleep, just as it did now. But now, Merlin knew who it was and his heart leaped. He jumped out of bed, pulled on his shoes and crept quietly out of the room, the rumbles of Gaius's snores soaring through the air; he followed the voice down the coridor, realizing it came from outside the castle's walls, sneaking out of the castle and using magic here and there, so not to disturb the guards. Merlin's greatest secret had been revealed to Arthur but he had not yet spoken to him of the Great Dragon. Merlin had wanted Kilgharrah to be there when he did so and had been intending to call him in the near future so that this may happen. What luck that Kilgharrah should call _him – _and in the dead of night too, just like old times.

The voice beckoned him outside of Camelot and into the forest.

"_Merlin … Merlin …_"

At last, he found him. There was the Great Dragon, looking older and wiser than ever, staring down at him with that fierce face, but such gentle expression that there could have been no doubt of the friendship between the two. Merlin looked up at the dragon with great gratitude; he would never be able to thank him enough for what he did at Avalon and how he arrived just in time to save the life of Arthur.

"Don't thank me, Young Warlock," said Kilgharrah in that distinctive, rich voice that Merlin knew so well when he voiced this aloud. "You are a Dragonlord and I simply responded to your call. The credit for saving Arthur's life lies with you, and you alone. You did it, Merlin. Now the united land of Albion shall come to pass."

Merlin grinned.

"Could never have done it without you and you know it. I am glad you called me. I wanted to speak to Arthur of you, but I wished for your presence while doing so."

"Ah … there is nothing Arthur would not do for you now, Merlin. Once, such a request would have sounded absurd to me; I have always known of the great destiny of Arthur Pendragon, yet seeing is still the essence of believing. His difference to Uther is paramount – no doubt Uther is turning in his grave at the thought of what is happening to Camelot now."

A look of deep satisfaction filled Kilgharrah's features for a moment.

"But, Young Warlock, I did not come here to discuss Arthur or his father before him. I called you with a request."

"A request?"

"Yes … My time left on this earth is short and I do not think it will be me who meets the king. That role is better left to someone who needs it far greater than I."

Though it deeply distressed Merlin at the thought of Kilgharrah no longer existing in this world, he was curious to know who the dragon spoke of.

"If not you, then who?"

"Of the only other dragon in Albion," replied Kilgharrah. "I speak of Aithusa. Merlin – I want you to become her guardian. I wish for you to become her Dragon Lord."

Merlin stared at him in shock for a good few seconds.

"Aithusa was in league with Morgana," he said finally. "She will never accept me as her lord."

"Merlin, she will. You do not know of the bond that exists between you both. It was you who saved her from destruction years before. The white dragon is a symbol of hope and peace for the Land of Albion. But there is something else … The dragon that bore Aithusa was not just any dragon. Her mother bore allegiance to the last Dragon Lord before you … the one who passed away just after you met him …"

"My father!" gasped Merlin.

"Yes. Balinor did for Aithusa's mother what you did for Aithusa. Such a connection cannot be taken lightly. Aithusa has known from birth that she is supposed to serve you, and only you."

"But then why did she serve Morgana? Why did she try to kill Arthur and those who dwell within Camelot if she has known that her allegiance is with me? I don't understand."

"Merlin, I will tell you everything; I will tell you what happened to Aithusa when you left her in my care, why she switched sides and what has become of her now. I will tell you why she wishes to join you now. But first, you must see her."

He motioned for Merlin to follow him deeper into the forest and Merlin obliged, his heart pounding in great curiosity.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: The Light Moaning in the Darkness**

"There she is, Merlin … If you can, do not be apprehensive. Look at her instead with the same look you gave her the day she hatched. This is no evil that wishes to destroy Camelot, but a creature of beauty and purity who has suffered at the hands of true evil within the kingdom; she is a mere shadow of her former self and she alone is not responsible for her crimes."

Merlin stared, wide-eyed, as the small, crippled, white dragon crept towards him, her manner frightened and hesitant. Despite the fact that the last time he had come face to face with Aithusa she had tried to kill him, there was no other emotion he felt other than pity at the sight of her. A flash entered his mind; a dragon egg lay before him and slowly it began to crack … a tiny white dragon emerged, a creature of such beauty that it warmed his heart … It had looked at him with such love and innocence, as only those who first enter the world can do … And Merlin had named her 'Aithusa' meaning 'Light of the Sun' with the knowledge that this little dragon would one day become a great symbol of fortitude and power for Camelot, an ally in the war against darkness.

Yet how unexpected, how tragic and how tainted the fate of the white dragon had proved to be. Morgana's closest ally, no longer the beacon of shining light, but a crippled, tormented creature whose large eyes conveyed only misery and sadness. Where did it all go wrong?

"It's – it's OK," said Merlin, edging nearer towards Aithusa, who turned her sorrowful eyes towards Kilgharrah. He held out a hand. "Come closer … I won't hurt you."

She shuffled towards him and stopped at his feet, releasing a moan. Tentatively, Merlin patted her head.

"Kilgharrah … what happened to her?"

"Aithusa's mother was no ordinary dragon, Merlin. Before Uther conquered Camelot and eventually turned on all those who had magic, dragons prospered far and wide within the kingdom and around it. Magic did roam freely but even before Uther's arrival and subsequent hatred of magic, there were those who detested magic and all those who possessed it. Some of these people were the same ones who reported the whereabouts of magical beings to Uther during the Great Purge years later, resulting in hundreds of deaths. Dragon Lords were also quite prevalent in number. It was common for a dragon to have one lord only, to serve him both as a friend and ally. Just before Uther invaded, there was an uprising against magic … Yes, I cannot imagine you would have heard of it. It was extremely brief but a large number of citizens, some of noble blood, wished to purge the land of magic, especially of the dragons and their lords. For Uther, who had just arrived and intended to claim the throne as his own, the timing couldn't have been more perfect. At the start, Uther had no issue with magic. Therefore, he was more than happy to accept assistance from the dragons and their lords, as well as the magical community, in order for him to overthrow the current ruler at the time. Uther was successful and, of course, became king. Those who had magic breathed a sigh of relief. Ironically, only years later, Uther would begin the Great Purge, destroying the very same people who had helped him claim the throne. He ordered the execution of all dragons and their lords; all the lords were killed – except for your father. And all of my kind were destroyed; apart from two."

"Two?" said Merlin, puzzled. "I thought you were the only one who survived the Great Purge. Uther kept you locked in the dungeons as a reminder to everyone …"

"No, Merlin. There were two of us. I was kept alive as an example to others … But Aithusa's mother, Entarrah, survived also. She was the dragon that belonged to your father. Before the arrival of Uther, it was your father and Entarrah who kept Camelot strong; they warded off a number of invasions as only dragons and their lords can. Uther's success was only made possible due to the alliance of the dragons. But when the Great Purge happened, Balinor's greatest concern was the safety of his dragon. The dragon who had borne an egg, which still resided in Camelot … and an egg that had to be kept safe at all costs. The egg that your father single-handedly delivered to the Tomb of Ashkanar before living out his days as a hermit."

"And – and Entarrah?" said Merlin, bowled over by this news. "What happened to her?"

"She was held prisoner. I had escaped. Uther was ruthless in his pursuit of me. He was determined to find me and he knew only a dragon lord could do so. Balinor had thought Entarrah had escaped; his horror when he found out she was imprisoned magnified. But Uther told him that Entarrah was not under lock and key; instead he said that she was being held as a guest. He told him towards the end of the Purge that he wished to make peace with the dragons; that the slaughter of the dragons had not been in his agenda and he wished to atone for the losses that had occurred; that two dragons who still exist could still prosper freely over the land. But in order for that to happen, Balinor had to find me and bring me to him. Whether your father truly believed him or not, I do not know. I think he may have done, for he was a noble man and did not believe the king would go back on his word in such a way. But I do know that the love he felt for his dragon went unrivalled among all lords and their beasts and it may have blinded him to seeing the truth behind Uther's lie. Well, he did find me. He found me, and Uther imprisoned me and executed Entarrah, simply to show the dragon lord that he was the only one with any power in the land."

Kilgarrah was unable to keep out the bitterness in his voice. Merlin felt rather sick.

"So," Kilgarrah continued, "you can imagine my joy when I discovered that you had found Entarrah's egg – and named her also. Aithusa … the Light of the Sun. Aithusa became my ward; I knew only too well the great powers she possessed and how well she could help you. I taught her of the darkness that lies inside the hearts of men and how she could use her abilities to help all those working for the light. One day, I discovered that she had saved the life of Morgana. My fury knew no bounds … but Aithusa resented me for it. She asked me why I had taught her to fight the darkness, only to condemn her when she acted upon what I had taught her to be right, to save the life of another when they are at death's door. Aithusa was too young to understand that there are grey areas … To her, the world existed in black and white. She did not understand that there is evil out there that must be left to die. Her anger towards me grew … and she left, only to seek out the witch whom she had saved. Yes, Merlin … the fault of Aithusa's betrayal lies with me."

This was the first time Merlin had seen the Great Dragon look so woebegone due to his own actions.

"You only did what you thought was right," he told him, his croaky voice becoming more firm. "You tried to teach her right from wrong … there is no crime in that."

"Thank you, Young Warlock. But it is a burden I bear and one I will carry til death. After Aithusa left, she spent several years in the company of Morgana. You know as well as anyone, Merlin, that Morgana's hatred spreads like a poison throughout all those she comes into contact with. Her own hatred seeped into Aithusa … But Aithusa is not an instrument of evil. She is a white dragon for a reason. She loved Morgana because Morgana loved her. She felt betrayed by me and sought love from one whom she felt could give it better to her than I. Aithusa has never been evil; merely she looked for something that represented the light and found it moaning in the darkness."

Aithusa cried softly at the feet of Merlin. The young sorcerer looked at her, his heart heavy.

"During the time in Morgana's company, they were imprisoned by Sarrum. I need not tell you what happened there. The evil of man goes unrivalled by any other creature in existence. The things they did to the young dragon … As I said, I need not go into depth. But when Aithusa came out, stunted and malnourished, she felt even closer to the witch, who had also suffered at the hands of Sarrum. And it is what happened in that dark place which brings Aithusa to you today, Merlin. She cannot speak because of what they did to her, but she has the gift to convey knowledge and will tell you all you need to know. It is information that proves evil is never far from this land and always ready to strike at the heart of Camelot. A never-ending cycle. And now, I must bid you farewell. I only ask one thing … That you protect Aithusa as your own. She will respond to you, Merlin. It was her wish to come to you today, to seek your forgiveness … and your friendship."

"You're – you're leaving?" said Merlin, his eyes palpable with worry as the Great Dragon stood erect as he prepared to fly.

"Yes … Whether we will see each other again or not, I do not know. Merlin … please adhere to my request. Your father risked everything for Entarrah, so that our egg may be safe. Please continue the work he started, as I could not …"

"Wait – _our _egg?" exclaimed Merlin, gaping. "You mean you're –"

"Yes… I am. Always I have hated that abomination that was once Uther Pendragon … but it is only now that I wonder how different he and I truly are. Goodbye Merlin."

There were many words that Merlin wanted to say to Kilgarrah, to thank him, to tell him that he hoped they would cross paths again and to express his gratitude that, throughout everything, the dragon had been a constant source of comfort; but he found the words stuck in his throat. The Great Dragon rose high into the air and disappeared from sight. Merlin had never before seen this side to Kilgarrah, a side where all pride was gone and contemplation and remorse replaced it … but he was glad he had, for it brought him the strength he needed for this unexpected, latest situation.

"Aithusa," Merlin whispered, crouching down and stroking the dragon. "Please, tell me what you know."

And he embraced the small creature, who moaned loudly before fulfilling the purpose she had set out for that day.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: The Stranger**

"Merlin, there you are – _good grief!_"

Gaius's hand flew to his heart as he stopped dead in his tracks, staring in disbelief at the sight that lay before him. There was Merlin, looking rather bedraggled and harried … and next to him was a pure white dragon.

"Shhhh!" Merlin hushed to Gaius, closing the door swiftly behind him. Open-mouthed, Gaius watched as Merlin gently ushered the dragon further into the room; its head came up to Gaius's waist and it stared up at the man who was staring at it with such a flabbergasted expression.

"Merlin – that's a _dragon!_"

"I know Gaius, it's Aithusa."

"_Aithusa? _Wasn't that the dragon who was in league with Morgana? What is she doing here? How did you find her? And where have you _been? _It's the crack of dawn! Have you been out all night?"

"No time to explain," said Merlin in a rushed way, while Gaius continued to fuss over him like a distraught mother hen. "I've got to see Arthur – he asked me yesterday to see him at first light, apparently there's something important he wants me to do. Besides which, I have to speak to him about Aithusa. She has told me something – hugely important – I had to bring her here, we had to sneak back as I didn't want the guards catching sight of us, there's no telling how they would react to a dragon, even after the defeat of Morgana … Kilgarrah told me about Aithusa's mother – Gaius, do you know about Entarrah?"

"Entarrah? Why, yes … she was Balinor's dragon. She was killed along with the rest of her kind during the Great Purge."

"She was used as bait to bring Kilgarrah to Uther – Uther had her executed soon afterwards. Kilgarrah is Aithusa's father –"

"_Kilgarrah is Aithusa's – ?_" began Gaius in amazement.

"Yes – my father saved Aithusa when he brought the egg to the Tomb of Ashkanar. Aithusa's true allegiance lies with me … and now she has told me something which has changed everything. I must find a way to speak to Arthur about this as soon as possible."

"Merlin, are you sure about this? Are you saying Kilgarrah brought Aithusa to you? This is most unusual. Are you sure Kilgarrah can be completely trusted? He has been known in the past to act for his own gain …"

"Gaius, I would trust Kilgarrah with my life – in fact, I already have."

"But we know who Aithusa was in league with. Why would the dragon switch sides like that when she clearly felt such great affection for Morgana? Surely she would seek retribution for her death?"

"No, Gaius. Aithusa is not like that. From when she was born, she was known as the 'Light of the Sun', the one who would help unite the Land of Albion. She means no harm to any of us – and I intend to make sure that she never again suffers at the hands of those who would wish to do her harm. You have to trust me, Gaius."

Gaius stared at the young warlock for several seconds.

"Merlin, there is no one else in this world who I trust more than you."

Merlin smiled at him.

"Thank you. Now … could you please look after Aithusa for me while I go and see Arthur?"

"Erm …"

"Thanks, Gaius, see you later!"

And with that, Merlin rushed out of the room where the king was waiting for him in his chambers. Gaius looked down at Aithusa, who stared back up at him with those mournful eyes.

"Well," said Gaius after a moment, sighing. He tottered over to the cupboard and pulled out a wooden bowl, beckoning the small dragon to come over to him. "I suppose you must be hungry. Poultry fine for you?"

He cut up several slices of the poultry that had been leftover from the feast yesterday and placed them into the wooden bowl, also settling down a bucket of drinking water for the dragon. As Aithusa munched hungrily on the poultry, Gaius wondered what other surprises Merlin had in store for them that morning.

In the King's chambers where Guinevere was still sleeping soundly, Arthur was talking in hushed whispers to Merlin who had just arrived.

"Now is that clear? One yellow rose, one white rose, one red rose, one pink rose, one green rose and one pair of silken gloves from the tailor on the other side of the city – oh and a note, Merlin, don't forget the note!"

"Yes, Sire, but I think there may be a problem acquiring a green rose –"

"You'll just have to look for one, Merlin."

"But Arthur, where exactly am I going to get a green rose from? I don't think they even exist!"

"Well, I don't know, Merlin, you have magic, don't you? Just make it change colour – and hurry, she'll be awake soon!"

"Yes, Sire – and, Sire, if I may, there is something very important I need to discuss with you –"

"Yes, later, Merlin, now hurry!"

With a quick bow, Merlin scuttled out of the room and down the corridor. The tradition of purchasing Arthur's anniversary presents for his wife had not changed in the slightest – though where Merlin was going to purchase a green rose from, he had absolutely no idea.

He hurried down the steps where the inhabitants of the castle were beginning their daily business, the cooks hurrying by with bags of food, the maids bustling around with the dirty laundry and the knights greeting him as he stepped outside the castle. It was a bright, sunny day; he felt he had better get this errand over with as soon as possible so that he may find a way to bring up the delicate matter of Aithusa without wasting too much time.

It was as he was walking past the blacksmith's that he felt the strange sensation of being followed. He stopped in his tracks, his blood turning slightly cold and it was then that he heard the snide voice behind him say:

"Hello Emrys."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: The Sorceress**

Merlin froze. The sneering voice behind him sounded vaguely familiar, yet he could not put his finger on who it was. There was only one thing he was sure of right at that moment in time …

This was no friend.

In fact, this was about as far from a friend as there could possibly be.

Merlin spun round in the nick of time, for a great fireball came bursting towards him. In that split-second, he uttered one word and from his own hand a jet of water shot towards the fire and the enemy, who he could see wore a black cloak that masked her entire face (it was a her, he was sure of it); she jumped to the side, missing the powerful blast of water by a fraction. People started to scream; everywhere, peddlers, merchants, shoppers, children and the occasional barking dog ran frantically to take cover from the two sorcerers. The cloaked figure struck again, this time causing a hail of rocks from the ground to shoot towards Merlin; a wailing child was caught in the midst of the two and he was seconds from being pelted by the rocks; Merlin reacted immediately, using his magic to hurl the child into the air; the screaming boy narrowly missed the stones and was delivered safely to the crowd of quivering, terrified onlookers who had taken refuge underneath their food stalls or behind the large crates inside the city.

"Who are you?" Merlin shouted at the figure.

The figure regarded him imperiously, hands stretched out in a menacing manner.

"You know me well enough," she said to him, her voice laced with malice and hatred. "Emrys – the greatest magical traitor there ever was. What Morgana started will be finished soon enough, I promise you that."

"Hey! Hey you!"

The figure was distracted by the sight of about seven Knights who were running towards her, brandishing their swords as they spotted the masked sorceress. With one last hateful glare towards Merlin, she screamed loudly and disappeared in a whirl of dust before the knights could reach her. The knights coughed and spluttered as the dust swarmed around them; once it had settled, there was no sign of the cloaked woman.

"Merlin – are you alright?"

It was Sir Leon, still half-blinded by the dust that had flown into his eyes, but he placed a hand on Merlin's shoulder, his face alight with concern.

"I – I'm fine," said Merlin.

"Who was that?"

"I don't know – a sorceress. She spoke of Morgana … about her work being finished."

"What did she want?"

_To kill me, _Merlin thought. There was no doubt of the sheer hatred in the sorceress's voice; her intent had been to murder him, he knew that much.

But he said nothing of this to Sir Leon, only shrugging his shoulders and offering the idea that there must be many unhappy allies of Morgana who would naturally wish to seek revenge for her death.

"Double the guards," ordered Sir Leon. "We cannot risk such a thing happening again. I will alert the king to what has happened. Merlin, be careful as you go into the city today. If you like, I will send two of the knights to accompany you to wherever you go."

"It's fine, Leon," said Merlin, shaking his head. "I can protect myself just fine. It's the people who need your help. They're scared."

The people of Camelot had finally come out of their hiding places, some shaking noticeably. The boy that Merlin had rescued came up to him and said in a small voice:

"Thank you."

Merlin was about to reply but the boy was pulled away by a large woman who scolded him and shot Merlin an accusing look as she did so. They hurried away and Merlin was left feeling thoroughly discontented; such attacks from stray sorcerers and sorceresses could not be allowed to occur in the city again. It would only reinforce the idea in the minds of the people that magic was bad, despite the tales of Merlin's gifts being spread far and wide. The concept of magic being evil, which Uther had drummed into the heads of the citizens had prevailed for many years and it would take a lot more than a couple of weeks to change this notion.

There was a great deal of worry in Merlin's mind as he hurried towards the tailor's on the other side of the city. The knowledge that Aithusa had given him … his task of delivering this information to Arthur … the attack from the sorceress …

Morgana's death had meant the end of the tyrannical threat over Camelot. But uniting the Land of Albion was something that would call upon the greatest of Merlin's powers. Defeating the darkness had been a triumph … but he realized now that defeating the darkness wasn't enough. You had to spread light in order to truly win and Merlin realized that the destiny Kilgarrah had spoken of all those years ago, the one he was meant to fulfil by protecting the king and uniting the kingdom was only just beginning.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: What Aithusa Told Merlin**

Back at the castle, Gaius was busy with Aithusa, who appeared to have taken a great liking to the old physician. When Merlin walked in, the white dragon was resting her head on his knees and snoozing rather loudly, her tail wrapped round his shoulders.

"Merlin!" hissed Gaius. "Where have you been? I thought you were only going to be gone for a couple of hours!"

"There was a problem in the square – I was attacked by a sorceress –"

"Good grief! Are you alright?"

"Yes, fine, thank you. But it's really worried me and made me realize just how many people with magic there must be out there who are going to try and extract revenge due to Morgana's downfall. The Saxons, for example … What of them?"

"I heard that the king intends to send an envoy to their leader in an attempt to make peace," said Gaius worriedly.

"I'm not sure if that would be the best move. The Saxons are vicious and vengeful. They won't take kindly to an envoy of Camelot ... Anyway, I had better go and see Arthur and give him the roses and gloves. He asked me to find him a green rose, Gaius! In the end, I _did _have to use magic – though it turned black and then purple before I finally got the right colour!"

"Just a moment, Merlin, what about your dragon? She fell asleep on me an hour ago and I haven't been able to concoct any remedies!"

Merlin looked down at Aithusa, who looked rather peaceful as she lay sleeping on Gaius's lap.

"Looks like she likes you," he said with a grin. "This is good – it's important Aithusa feels comfortable here. I've got to go – I'll be back later!"

"But Merlin –"

"Speak soon, Gaius!"

He dashed out of the room and Gaius heaved a great sigh, while Aithusa moaned softly in her sleep.

Arthur was waiting for Merlin at the long wooden dinner table, eating his lunch. He did not look happy.

"Well, well, well," he said, throwing a chicken leg down onto his place, "look who finally decided to show up."

"I'm sorry, Sire," said Merlin, hurrying towards the king and handing him the bag of gifts for Guinevere.

"I've been waiting for hours! Where have you been? Guinevere is out in the courtyard, I've had to keep her occupied until your return! Did you get the note too?"

"I did, Sire, and –"

"So where exactly have you been, Merlin?"

"Well, there was the attack in the square by the sorceress –"

Arthur froze just as he was about to bite into chunk of loafy bread.

"What?"

Merlin was puzzled.

"Sir Leon did not tell you?"

"I haven't seen Sir Leon all day. What do you mean you were attacked by a sorceress?"

"She came out of nowhere; she was wearing a black cloak, I couldn't see her face. But she knew my name, and she clearly wanted revenge for Morgana. Leon and his men arrived and she disappeared."

Arthur's expression was grave.

"I had suspected something like this may occur. Leon must double the guards all around Camelot. Why did he not come and tell me about this?"

"I really don't know. He said he would tell you first thing …"

Worry was starting to creep up on Merlin. It was not like Sir Leon to fail to tell the king of something so important when he said he would. Was the knight alright? Had anything happened to him?

Arthur may have been thinking the same thing, for he called to one of the guards outside the room.

"Find Sir Leon and ask him to come and see me," he told him. The guard nodded and walked swiftly away. The king turned back to Merlin.

"Well, at least you're still in one piece. I assume you managed to get everything?"

"Yes, Sire. Even the green rose."

Arthur's face broke into a grin.

"Knew you could do it! Now, I had better prepare these for Guinevere … She's being a bit funny with me, I think she may believe I've forgotten …"

"Before you do, there is something very urgent I must discuss with you," said Merlin hurriedly, realizing it was now or never.

Arthur looked at him.

"Might as well pull up a chair then. Here – help yourself to some food."

Merlin sat down, ignoring the plate that Arthur pushed in front of him. He took a deep breath.

"It's about Aithusa."

Arthur stared at him blankly.

"And that is …?"

"The dragon that fought for Morgana during the Battle of Camlann."

"Oh, that creature. What about it?"

"She is here."

Again, Arthur became motionless.

"I'm sorry?"

"Aithusa is here in the castle. She is with Gaius."

Arthur turned to stare at him very slowly.

"There is a dragon in this castle?"

"Yes," replied Merlin. "And," he added in a rushed way, for he could see the king's face becoming stonier by the second, "I need to tell you of something important she told me. Arthur – you have to understand that Aithusa is not an evil creature. She allied herself with Morgana because Morgana gave her the love and affection she couldn't find anywhere else. Her heart is not against you, me or Camelot – she wishes to help us."

"Help us?" said Arthur, his mouth tight. "It didn't seem like she wanted to help us when she almost burnt my men to ash during the battle. How long has this dragon been here? Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"I was looking for the right moment – please, Arthur, don't be angry. Aithusa has given me information that will save the fate of Camelot. Albion cannot prosper without her. You have to trust me."

Arthur looked at him for a long time. Finally he said:

"Well, Merlin, what is it you know?"

"Sarrum," replied Merlin, a wave of relief washing over him. "During the time Morgana and Aithusa were imprisoned by him, he had his own sorcerers at his command. They hurt Aithusa in unimaginable ways – some of the sorcerers performed experiments on her. Aithusa became stunted, her magic weakened and there were parts of this magic that were absorbed into the sorcerers. With the magic of the dragon, they could become much more deadly than they already are. Sarrum and Morgana might be dead but the sorcerers that followed them pose just as bad a threat; they do not want a united Albion – they wants to claim Camelot for themselves. They are the last threat to Albion, Arthur, and they must be stopped. In fact, I believe that the sorceress who attacked me may have something to do with them. Aithusa knows the location; she knows where they are hiding. When they took the magic from her, they unknowingly created a bond between themselves and her, so that she can sense their whereabouts, wherever they may be."

"And Aithusa told you this? How do we know she is telling the truth?"

"I trust her, Arthur."

"She could be in league with them."

"I don't believe it. But I intend to find out for certain."

"What do you mean?"

"Aithusa knows where the sorcerers are. They must be found and destroyed."

Arthur pondered carefully.

"You're right. If indeed this is a threat, even if there is the risk of it being a trap, we must destroy them. I will ready the knights –"

"No. I must go alone."

"What? Merlin, no –"

"The knights will stand no chance against the sorcerers, especially not ones who have the magic of dragons within them. I am the only one who can defeat them. I must go alone."

"I cannot allow this. If this is a trap, you will have sorcerers and a dragon against you. I don't know if even you can survive that, Merlin."

"It is the only way. Anyone else who comes would just be in the way."

"You're not going alone. That is an order from your king."

"Yes, Sire. You are my king. It is my duty to protect you … and the only way I can do that is by destroying the threats to your kingdom."

They stared at each other, man to man, each as determined as the other. Eventually, Arthur dropped his gaze, shaking his head, a look of extreme displeasure on his face.

"I will not make a decision just now. First I wish to meet the dragon. Bring her to me."

Merlin nodded.

"I will go right away."

He turned to walk away. But as he neared the door, he stopped and slowly turned back to face the king.

"Arthur … please remember. Aithusa has suffered greatly."

"I understand, Merlin."

With that, Merlin left the room to wake the white dragon, who would finally come face to face with the king of Camelot.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight: Revelations**

In the apple orchard of the castle grounds, Guinevere was lightly strolling among the numerous trees, pausing every now and then to pluck an apple that looked particularly juicy and placing it gently in her basket. Though it was a warm, sunny day with not a cloud in the sky, her heart felt a little saddened whenever she recalled it was her wedding anniversary; it seemed Arthur had not remembered.

_Arthur is the king of Camelot, _she would always scold herself soon afterwards, _and there are many important things for him to be getting on with! _

Silently rebuking herself for her selfishness, especially as it had not been long since the Battle of Camlann and she knew she was lucky to have Arthur by her side at all, she shrugged off those intrusive thoughts and continued her stroll, thinking how she would pick the best of the apples and present them to Arthur later … maybe she would even cook him a nice apple pie, the type she used to make regularly back when she was a servant girl …

A man appeared in front of her from behind the trees. Startled, Guinevere almost dropped her basket.

"My lady – forgive me," said the man, bowing low and retrieving one of the apples that had fallen to the ground.

"Oh – Galahad! You frightened me."

"Do excuse me, your majesty," said Galahad humbly. "I was exploring the orchard; I did not know you were here also. May I accompany you?"

"It would be a pleasure."

Together they continued to walk through the barks of the apple trees, Galahad occasionally picking out the riper apples that were too high for the queen to reach.

"My lady, may I ask you a question?" said Galahad suddenly.

"Please do."

"Do I … seem familiar to you at all?"

Guinevere looked at him curiously.

"No, I don't believe you do …"

"Really? My face … it is not known to you at all?"

She stared at him closely, right into those deep green eyes that were looking at her with such intensity. Now that she was looking at him like this, she realized there _was _something familiar about him … but she couldn't put her finger on what it was.

"Now that I look … yes, your face is vaguely familiar to me … but we have not met before. Perhaps you resemble somebody I know."

"That is more or less true, my lady." Galahad stopped in his tracks, bowing his head. "Please forgive me for failing to mention this before. But I had my reasons. Queen Guinevere, was there a knight of Camelot known as Lancelot du Lac?"

Guinevere's heart almost stopped. Those eyes …

"Yes …" she said slowly.

"He was my brother. The eldest of three sons. I am the youngest."

Guinevere could only stare at the man before her, her mouth wide open.

"You – you are Lancelot's brother? Why did you not say something before?"

"I did not want to tell your majesties my relation to Lancelot during the ceremony; I feared it would cause bias in my quest to retrieve the Holy Grail. Whether that bias would be negative or positive, I did not know. My queen … I have not seen my brother since he left our home. I have heard rumours that – that he passed away. I looked for him when I first arrived and, alas, found nothing. I was afraid to ask about him in case anyone noticed our resemblance. Please … are the rumours true? Is my brother … dead?"

For a long time, there was silence in the clearing. Guinevere's heart was caught in her throat; she moved closer to Galahad, who was staring at her with an almost pleading expression, and took his hand in her own.

"I am sorry to say that it is true," she said softly. Galahad bowed his head. "Sir Lancelot is dead. But he died the noblest death any man could die. Such sacrifice is priceless among men, and your brother will be remembered as one of the greatest knights Camelot has ever known. His death was not in vain … he saved many lives, including my own. He was a great man – loyal, courageous, honourable and true."

A lump had formed in her throat as she spoke these words and she tightened her hand around Galahad's. The young man himself could not speak.

"Take heart from his death, Galahad," said Guinevere eventually, her tone gentle. "Your brother was a faithful knight … and a beloved friend. If your heart is as pure as his, you will also serve Camelot proud."

"Thank you, my lady," whispered Galahad.

They held hands a few moments longer and, as Guinevere continued to look into those soulful green eyes, she wondered how she had failed to recognize the resemblance to the man who had risked his life for her … and died for Arthur … The man who had once held such a burning passion for her, as she had for him … before she realized it was Arthur who truly held her heart …

There was an almighty scream from the other side of the castle. Snapping out of her reverie, the queen whipped her head towards the direction of the noise.

"What was that?" she cried in alarm.

Galahad was on the alert, his posture tense.

"I do not know, your majesty. Let us find out."

They hurried out of the orchard, both feeling the same trepidation due to the awful noise that had occurred a moment ago.

The scream had actually come from one of the servant girls who worked in the castle. She had just stepped outside to hang a basketful of fresh laundry (_Such a warm, clear day!_ she thought to herself) when a man seemed to fall down from the sky in front of her, landing with a sickening thud at her feet.

Her laundry basket flew from her hands as she screamed and screamed at the sight of the bloodied, bruised man on the ground; his eyes rolled backwards and what should have been his face was horrifically mangled into a mess of broken flesh and cuts, blood oozing down to his red cloak, which had the seal of Camelot on it. Her wails attracted the attentions of a number of knights, including Sir Percival.

"What the –" Percival began in horror, as he ran towards the broken body, which seemed barely alive. He knelt down and sheer terror engulfed him when he realised who it was.

"No … _Sir Leon?_"

At that moment, the hand of the half-dead knight reached out and gripped his arm.

"Must – speak – with – Arthur," he gasped; the strain of speaking was so painful that his eyes started to water.

Percival tried his best to hide his distress.

"Quick!" he roared to the knights who stood behind him; they gaped in dismay at the pitiful sight of the valiant knight that had so often led them into battle. "Help me! We must bring him to the physician!"

The knights dived into action, heaving their commander as gently as they could under their arms; some of them trembled, wondering how this could have happened to Sir Leon who, only this morning, had led a number of knights on a patrol through the city. Fearing for the life of their commander, they rushed him inside the castle as quickly as they could; Percival shouted orders to find Gaius as they laid him on a bed inside a servant's chambers. The castle staff watched in disbelief and horror, some covering their eyes at the dreadful sight of one of Camelot's most revered knights. Percival himself gripped the hand of his friend and comrade, whose head was lolling about in a nauseating way.

"We will find whoever did this to you," he choked, his expression fierce. "I promise."


	9. Chapter 9

***Author's Note* **_Hello Everybody, I thought it was about time I left a note to say thank you all very much indeed for your follows and reviews; I am so glad you are enjoying the story and I hope you will continue to do so as it progresses. Enjoy this latest chapter concerning the fate of Sir Leon!_

**Chapter Nine: Atonement**

"What happened?!"

It was Arthur. Having heard the horrified screams coming from outside the castle, he had dashed from the council chambers where he was waiting for Merlin to bring the dragon to him. The servants told him there had been an accident with one of the knights and directed him to where Sir Leon now lay, bloodied and mauled; Arthur swallowed hard at the sight of one of his most upstanding knights. It was clear there was very little life left in him.

"What happened?" he repeated, pushing his way through the crowd of pop-eyed servants, who sank down low as they spotted their king. "Leon – what happened to him?"

"We do not know, Sire," said Sir Percival, who spoke with difficulty, his hand still tightly squeezed around Leon's. "He just dropped, as if by magic, down from the sky. He told us he must speak with you."

Arthur's gaze shot from Percival to his commander of knights; he put a hand to the man's battered forehead.

"Leon? It's Arthur. What happened? Speak to me."

Leon's eyes slowly fluttered open; his eyes rolled back continuously; he wheezed and choked and it took every bit of effort for him to get the words out.

"Sorcerers – took me –" he gasped. "Want to – warn you –"

At that moment, Gaius came bustling into the room.

"Move, move," he said frantically, shooing the servants out of the way. "Let me see him."

He stopped beside Leon's bed, examining every inch of him, a grave expression marring his features.

He turned to the king and spoke in a low voice.

"Arthur – Sir Leon has been tortured brutally … It is a miracle he is still alive. These are not ordinary wounds. They have been inflicted by magic. I fear there is not enough time …"

Arthur's face paled. What was Gaius saying?

"You must act, Gaius – immediately."

"Sire … the remedies and potions I have are not powerful enough to heal such wounds. Sir Leon may have only minutes left … Forgive me, but it may be that we will have to prepare for the worst …"

"No." Arthur's blood ran cold. Percival looked more frightened than the king had ever seen him. "No. You must save him, Gaius."

"The only one who stands a chance of reviving Sir Leon is Merlin – his magic may be powerful enough to seal the wounds and rectify the damage inside. But Leon has lost a lot of blood and even Merlin cannot conjure blood out of thin air. Your highness, please prepare yourself –"

"Guard!" roared Arthur, cutting the physician off, not wanting to hear what he had to say. "Find Merlin and bring him here – now!"

As it happened, Merlin was on his way with Aithusa to the council chambers. He had woken her from her slumber on Gaius's lap (much to the physician's relief) and taken her for a quick stroll in a deserted area among the castle grounds, quite far away from where Sir Leon had fallen, hence he had not heard the screams. He felt it would be a good idea to take her for a 'walk' before meeting Arthur, to give her some fresh air and a little bit of time to prepare herself for her first encounter with the king. Several courtiers in the courtyard, who were milling about in conversation, stopped dead at the sight of Aithusa, who was shuffling about near Merlin's feet and sniffing interestedly at a large well. Merlin looked at them and waved.

"Only a dragon!" he called with a grin; they stared back with horrified expressions. "Nothing to worry about!"

He ushered Aithusa back towards the castle doors after a short while; the dragon moved shyly and nervously through the corridors, staying close to Merlin's side; Merlin muttered to her to ignore the terrified looks and gasps of horror she was receiving, patting her reassuringly on the head.

It was then that he heard his name being yelled urgently somewhere behind him.

"Merlin! Merlin! Come quickly! Sir Leon is dying – the king needs you!"

Merlin did not stop to think. The words 'Leon' and 'dying' were enough to sprint him into action. Briefly beckoning for Aithusa to follow, he ran behind the guard who led him to the room where Leon, Arthur, Gaius, Percival, Guinevere, Galahad and a number of servants were gathered; there were hushed, panicking whispers resonating throughout.

"Arthur – I'm here – what happened?"

"It's Leon – he has been tortured – Gaius does not think he has long left – Merlin, you must do something!"

Merlin stared down at the knight, unable to help his skin from crawling at the sight of the barely recognizable man before him. He had seen some dreadful things in his time, but this …

"He has lost a lot of blood," he muttered, moving closer and holding his hand to Leon's forehead; the knight's eyes were closed now; his breathing was weak, his chest rising and falling in a slow, beaten manner. The young warlock knew, with a sinking, dreaded feeling, that even his own powers may not be enough to save him.

"That's what Gaius said! Merlin, you have to act – use your magic!"

Merlin took a deep breath, saying a silent prayer. Everyone watched in awe as the young sorcerer uttered a stream of incomprehensible words, his eyes flashing orange as he pressed firmly on Sir Leon's chest and a bright blue light shot from his hand – they all knew he had magic, but to see him in action was an entirely different thing altogether, and not one that many of them often bore witness to.

His mouth snapping shut, the light vanishing and his eyes returning back to their normal blue, Merlin removed his hand from Leon's chest, his heart pumping uncontrollably as he looked for signs to see if his magic had worked. Everybody waited with bated breath.

Alas, Merlin's head dropped in defeat.

"It's no good," he said.

"Try again!" urged Arthur.

Taking another deep breath, Merlin obliged.

But there was nothing.

He tried one more time.

Again, nothing …

"Arthur," the young warlock turned to the king, tears forming in his eyes. "Forgive me … there is too much blood lost …"

Arthur just stared at him, hardly able to believe that the great sorcerer was unable to save the life of his knight.

But even Merlin could not stop Death from opening the door when one came knocking on it so loudly …

There was a chilling, mortified silence that filled the room, broken only by the occasional sob from a servant or two that had welled up with tears; Percival looked beside himself with grief; Arthur was a deathly white; Merlin could only hang his head, hardly able to bear what was happening. Leon was going to die and Camelot would lose another of her greatest warriors; one more seat at the Round Table would remain empty hereon, as Death crept forward to claim another for his own …

There was an unearthly scream from near the doorway of the chambers. Several swivelled their heads to see why the serving girl had screamed – and incidentally fainted a second later – though others were still so numb from the fate of Leon that they hardly flinched.

A small, white dragon came limping into the room. The servants shrank back in sheer horror, as did Guinevere and Galahad. The creature moved awkwardly towards Merlin, whose head rose at the sight of her, his mouth gaping as a sudden realization hit him … Aithusa shuffled closer to where Sir Leon lay …

Percival jumped up, his hand flying to his belt.

"Back away, beast!" he yelled, brandishing his sword and advancing towards the dragon; Aithusa stopped moving and flattened her ears, trembling. Merlin jumped in front of her.

"NO!" he shouted.

Percival stopped in his tracks. Arthur, his face still pale, his expression unreadable, put a hand to Percival's chest, indicating to him to stay where he was. Gaius's eyes widened. Merlin moved out of Aithusa's way and the dragon continued towards Sir Leon who was on his last breath, his hand falling from the table, his body almost lifeless …

It all happened in an instant; the white dragon nuzzled her face to the hollow face of the still knight – there was an odd breathing sound that emitted from her nostrils which lasted several seconds – there was a great gasp from Sir Leon whose eyes suddenly flew open – a chorus of shrieks from the servants in the room – and stunned faces and dropped jaws from those who stood closest to the scene.

The knight on the bed, who had been so close to death only moments before, now breathed in regular motion, colour returning to his cheeks, his eyes blinking in sort of wild, alarmed way. An eruption of joy suddenly occurred throughout the room; Percival, Arthur and Guinevere rushed to Leon's side, talking to him rapidly, the shock, relief and happiness emanating from them; the servants cheered in jubilance, hugging each other and weeping from mirth this time, for their well-loved knight was going to live, not die.

Merlin knelt down to face Aithusa, who had shuffled away from the knight's bedside and the crowd of joyous people. She gazed at him with those wide, solemn eyes and he stared back, his hand gently rested on the top of her head, the gratitude in his face tangible.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Gaius approached him.

"Well done, Merlin," he said, patting him on the back.

"Me? I did nothing. It was all Aithusa's doing."

"You trusted in her, Merlin. It was a team effort that saved the life of Sir Leon today."

When the hubbub had somewhat died down and Sir Leon, who still looked a mess of blood and bruises, was being tended to by a number of servants, Arthur – who was still rather heaving with emotion – made his way to where Merlin, Gaius and the white dragon were situated.

"You saved the life of our knight," said the king to the dragon, who was huddled beneath him.

He reached out a hand to her.

"Come … we will go to the council chambers. Once again, the goodness of heart has expressed itself most honourably in the form of magic. We are indebted to you, young dragon. Whatever allegiance you held with my sister is now forgiven and forgotten; you are now welcome in the arms of Camelot and its people."

As they made their way from the room and towards the chambers, Merlin smiled. Too often, evil prevailed in this world … but when that small ray of light shone down, there was nothing and nobody that could taint the beauty of what it had to offer. And today, at this moment in time, that light came in the form of Aithusa, who had dwelled so long in the darkness but could now find solace in the place where she truly belonged.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten: The Curse of the Sun**

It was very late when King Arthur, Merlin and everyone else who had been witness to the dramatic events of the day finally settled down for supper. The cook (who had always had a bit of a crush on Sir Leon and was so emotionally charged that she had not stopped crying for several hours) ordered three chickens to be slaughtered for the king and his companions so that they may have roast chicken and potatoes that night. Unfortunately, due to her current unhinged state, she forgot to actually give the order for the wood-burning stove to switch on; as a result, when dinner time came around, several butchered raw chickens lay sprawled in the stove, large and sumptuous but, sadly, quite inedible. This only added to the cook's manic distress and she retreated to her chambers at the insistence of the queen, who advised her to relax and get some rest. Sobbing at the thought of poor Sir Leon and mortified by her ineptitude that evening, the cook was ushered away by several kitchen-maids, who handed her a tissue which she blew on loudly. Guinevere herself prepared a simple meal of bread, ham and cheese and the royal couple, plus their companions, settled themselves with this instead.

It was a grave party that sat around the table during supper. Nobody spoke much; after the initial euphoria of Leon's dynamic recovery, everyone realized just how serious the attacks from Morgana's allies were becoming. But Merlin had a piece of information that he had still not shared with the king … one that he dreaded too, in fact …

"Leon has explained what happened," Arthur said, breaking into the silence. Everyone halted in the act of raising a flagon of mead to their lips or reaching for a slice of ham; Gaius swallowed his bread in great haste. Attention was fully on the king.

"After the attack by the sorceress on Merlin, Sir Leon – who had ordered his knights to scatter and search the city – was on his way to the castle to inform me what had happened. But he was distracted by the sight of that very same sorceress hiding by the blacksmith's. She started to flee when he caught her eye, but Sir Leon chased her, all the way out of the city and into the forest. He told me it should have occurred to him there and then that it was a trap … Why would the sorceress keep herself in sight just enough so he could follow her, when he had witnessed with his own eyes how she had disappeared in a whirl of dust? Leon advanced deeper into the forest … and then she disappeared. But it wasn't long before she reappeared again and she was not alone; two more cloaked figures had joined her. It was then that the sorceress revealed herself."

Arthur paused, his eyes glancing downwards. Everyone stared.

"Who was she?" said Merlin.

"Sefa. You remember her, I trust?"

All eyes around the table widened in disbelief. Of course they remembered Sefa, the queen's maid who had betrayed them, whose actions resulted in the deaths of good men; Guinevere in particular looked greatly unperturbed by this information, for it had been she who had ordered the execution of the maid; yet only with the intent of trapping her father, Ruadan, the dangerous sorcerer that was allied with Morgana. Many times since those dark days had Guinevere questioned her judgement on her own actions … Had she approached the situation in a different way, would Sefa not have switched sides completely, perhaps convincing her father to go along with her? There had been genuine remorse in the girl's eyes, genuine distress when she had been informed of the deaths of the men … Now Arthur was saying that Sefa had turned to the dark side, that she was a sorceress who had attacked Merlin and almost killed Sir Leon, perhaps fuelled by anger due to the murder of her father at the hands of Sir Elyan, the queen's deceased brother. Was she responsible for Sefa's actions? Guinevere felt an uncomfortable feeling of déjà vu race through her; it was like Morgana all over again …

"This makes absolutely no sense," said Merlin, breaking into her thoughts, his expression deeply puzzled. "Sefa is not a witch – she had no magic when she resided in Camelot. How is it possible she has managed to acquire such powerful sorcery in the space of a year?"

"Ruadan was a sorcerer – it may link to him somehow. Either way, I don't have the answer to that question and neither does Leon. When they surrounded him … Well, you all saw the wounds they inflicted. They left him with just enough life in him to return to Camelot … and pass on the message."

"What message was that?" said Sir Percival, who had remained by Sir Leon's side for most of the day and only just consented to relieve himself of the duty by joining them for supper.

Arthur hesitated.

"The sorcerers want us to know that they will not rest until the House of Pendragon has fallen," he said finally. Merlin eyed Arthur beadily; there was something about the way the king was shifting his gaze from one person to the next in that fast, flitting manner which told him something was not quite right …

"And of course we will not allow this to happen," continued Arthur, his voice becoming strong and firm. "We will find a way to seek out these sorcerers and destroy them before they attempt anything like this again. I will not lose another knight or a citizen to those who are so blinded by hatred that they fail to see the peace we wish to bring to this land."

Everyone finished their meals and there was a great clattering of spoons and forks once they were done; Gaius wished them a pleasant evening and excused himself, saying he was tired (in actual fact he wanted to check on Aithusa, whom he had left sleeping in his study; he had unexpectedly grown rather fond of the little dragon and secretly wanted to stop off in the kitchens to bring her some leftover scraps of meat). Sir Percival bid them goodnight and hurried back to where Sir Leon still lay in recovery. Guinevere stared after him, a sympathetic look on her face.

"Poor Percival," she said, shaking her head. "After losing Gawain I fear it would be too much for him to have lost Leon aswell."

"As we all feel, my love," said Arthur. He dabbed at his mouth with a handkerchief.

"Guinevere, why don't you make your way up to bed? I will join you in a moment … Just want to tell Merlin about a couple of things I need doing tomorrow …"

The queen nodded, stood up and kissed Arthur, informing him she would wait up for him.

"Oh, and Merlin? Thank you so much for delivering my gifts to Arthur today. I was particularly impressed with that one rose …"

She winked at him and smiled slyly at her husband; Arthur coughed, abashed, and Merlin grinned.

"Goodnight, Gwen."

She left the room, closing the door behind her. As soon as the door creaked shut, Arthur turned to Merlin, his expression urgent.

"There is something I need to tell you."

"Is this about the message Leon told you?"

Arthur looked at him in surprise.

"Yes – how did you know?"

"Arthur, this is me you're talking to. What is it?"

Though there was no one in the room but them and the crackling flames in the fireplace by the window, the king lowered his voice.

"I did not mention it at the table because the last thing we need is for everyone to fly into a panic … and of course I will tell Guinevere, but only when the moment is right … Gaius has an inkling … Well, of course, he would have to, for it was he who I'd consulted on Leon's condition … I needed to confirm what Leon had said after the dragon healed him, who better to ask than Gaius …?"

"You're losing me, Arthur."

The king inhaled deeply.

"For now, Merlin, this stays between you and I, understood?"

"Understood. As it stands, I've got something to tell you too. But you first."

"When the dragon healed Leon … Merlin, she didn't just heal him. She resurrected him."

Merlin stared.

"You mean … Leon was dead?"

"Yes. He told me he had died – only for mere seconds. He said he was petrified when he returned and that he couldn't understand what was going on, that to make that transition from life to death in such a short space of time was … Well, it was too much for one man to handle. I asked Gaius to find a way to confirm this for me; it took him several hours but he told me, yes, officially Leon had been dead for almost three minutes."

"How did Gaius know this?" said Merlin, amazed.

"I don't know – how does Gaius know what he knows? Something about studying his palpitations, measuring his heart rate; I believed he used a bit of sorcery of his own. But yes, Gaius discovered that Leon's spirit had left his body, if only for a short time. Merlin … the dragon is able to resurrect people from the dead. Did you know this?"

Merlin had known this. Dragons could not actually resurrect the dead (Kilgarrah certainly couldn't) but the white dragon was different. This was the essence of the white dragon and the true meaning of the 'Light of the Sun': the gift of life. And Merlin only knew this because of the information Aithusa had given him the night Kilgarrah had brought her to him, the same information that he knew he must finally tell the king.

Merlin nodded slowly, choosing his words carefully.

"There is information that Aithusa had given me … As I told you earlier, when she was tortured by Sarrum and his men inside the pit, three of these men were sorcerers. They absorbed some of her own magic into themselves … It must have taken very dark magic to achieve this and it partly explains why Aithusa is so stunted and cannot speak. One of these sorcerers was Ruadan, who had been allied with Sarrum before he joined Morgana … When you said earlier that Sefa had been the sorceress who attacked me in the square, I thought about it and realized that somehow Ruadan's powers must have been transferred to Sefa. One of the powers they stole from Aithusa was her ability to resurrect … However, no mere sorcerer can carry that amount of magic in their body and resurrect someone on their own, no matter how powerful they are. It would take the three of them combined to do it. This is what Aithusa suspects. She also knows of their plans because … because they found her and told her what they wanted to do, they said they needed to find a resting place before it became too late, for every resurrection needs a body … but she escaped and found the Great Dragon. Arthur –" Merlin's stomach lurched, for he was about to ask a question that would either confirm his fears or decapitate them, "– what was it that the sorcerers told Leon to tell you?"

Arthur stared at him for a long time before replying.

"He said, 'Tell your king that the once and future queen will rise again.' "

For as long as Merlin had known him, Arthur Pendragon had been the bravest man he had ever known; fearless in the face of danger, resilient in the face of evil. Few could compare to the king when it came to standing strong, especially in times of hardship. But as Arthur and Merlin stared at one another, a mutual horror gradually grew inside them; a fear that Merlin had only caught a handful of times in Arthur's eyes rose to the surface in that moment; Merlin's insides twisted like a writhing snake, his trepidation confirmed. Both the king and the sorcerer had reached the same conclusion, the one they feared above all others.

Arthur spoke with some difficulty.

"You said that when Sefa attacked you, she told you Morgana's work will be finished soon enough?"

"Yes …" Merlin's hands were balled into tight fists.

"Arthur … they're going to –"

"I know, Merlin." Arthur swallowed, his eyes glinting in the firelight.

"I know. They're going to bring her back. They're going to resurrect Morgana."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven: The Plan of Action**

"Now let's just wait a moment and think about things carefully," said Merlin, for Arthur had taken to pacing up and down the room, the firelight illuminating his striding shadow, the crease in his forehead representing just a fraction of the alarming strain he felt inside. Outside, what had been a warm, vibrant day earlier had turned into a dark, stormy night, rain splattering mercilessly against the windows and the lightning flashing with ominous intent. The realization that the two men inside the castle had just come to was causing panic in the king and anxiety in the sorcerer.

Merlin was doing his best to calm the situation.

"First we need to look at the full extent of the resurrection powers," he said, as Arthur continued to pace back and forth like an aggravated lion. "Aithusa may have the ability to bring life back from the dead, but this is not a gift to be taken lightly. The dragon herself has only healed people on the brink of death; to abuse such a power by repeatedly resurrecting the deceased would result in unimaginable consequences."

"But what of Sir Leon? He was definitely dead, yet she brought him back?"

"I believe Aithusa did that as an act of atonement," said Merlin thoughtfully. "For her crimes against you and Camelot – to prove to us that her loyalty lies with us, not Morgana and her sorcerers."

"Yes, but even now, how can we know that for sure, Merlin? I do not want to think it – she saved the life of Leon and I gave her my word that she is a child of Camelot. But you said she was with the sorcerers – how do we know that she was not sent here by them, to gain our trust so that they might lure us in?"

Merlin shook his head firmly.

"That makes no sense. Aithusa is the only one who knows where Morgana's body lies – which is why the sorcerers came after her. If she wanted her back, she could have resurrected her herself. Aithusa risked persecution by coming here, she has told us of their plans so that we can keep the kingdom safe. No, Arthur. It was said long ago that the white dragon would one day protect Camelot when she most needed it. I believe that time is now."

Arthur stopped pacing and placed a hand to his temple.

"These sorcerers wish to resurrect Morgana – they have the power to do this if the three of them combine their power, correct?"

"That is the theory, yes."

"And they need Morgana's body, is that right?"

"Yes, Arthur. There is no way there can be a resurrection without a body. For example, if you wanted to resurrect Gawain or – or Elyan … Well, it wouldn't be possible because their bodies are burnt to ash; most people who die go through the burning ceremony. Morgana did not."

"And Aithusa knows where Morgana's body is?"

"She does."

"Then we must tell her to take us to the body and dispose of it ourselves," said Arthur resolutely.

"I believe that would be the best option. However, it does not deal with the issue of the sorcerers, which I believe is the real problem here. They are playing with extremely dangerous magic, one that I feel they know very little about. Even if we were to destroy Morgana's corpse, we would still have to worry about what they're capable of … Three sorcerers with a hatred against Camelot, the desire to resurrect Morgana and the power of a white dragon inside them? It wouldn't take long for them to become the noose around Albion's neck. They must be stopped – now."

"So what do you suggest we do?"

Merlin stood up.

"It is simple. You will dispose of Morgana's body. I will terminate the sorcerers."

Arthur glared at him.

"We've had this conversation before, Merlin. You're not going alone. Once I have dealt with my sister's corpse, I will accompany you to wherever they're hiding. You're going to need some trained fighters when dealing with them so I will also gather some of the knights."

Merlin sighed, exasperated. Arthur seemed to have little to no comprehension that swords or arrows were absolutely futile against magic.

"I will be with Aithusa," he said, in an attempt to appease his king. "She has magic of her own, powerful magic. Like I told you before, your sword will have no effect on these sorcerers. Now I had better go – I will speak to Aithusa and tell her to give me directions to the whereabouts of Morgana. I will then tell you where she is … then I will go with Aithusa to their hideout."

"Merlin, you're one man. They're three. None of us even know if there will be more of them. You cannot do this alone – or even with just the dragon."

"Arthur, not to blow my own trumpet, but it has been said that I am the most powerful sorcerer alive. I think this gives me the upper hand against amateurs, no matter how many there are."

His tone, despite the gravity of the situation, was light and cheerful, but Arthur just stared stonily at the wall.

"If anything happens to you, Merlin, you'll have me to answer to, you do realize that, don't you?"

"I do, Sire," said Merlin, with a small smile. "And I intend not to deliberately give you a reason to be angry with me. There is quite enough of that when I wake you up in the mornings."

Bowing, he turned and walked away, determined to speak to Aithusa immediately so that they may set off at first light.

As he walked quickly to his chambers, he failed to notice that he was being watched. The eyes of this stranger followed him all the way down the dark corridor with such a detached gaze, yet thoughts that plotted and schemed, all the while waiting … waiting for the exact moment to strike.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve: Merlin's Call**

When Merlin walked into the physician's room he was not surprised to find Gaius asleep and Aithusa snoozing at the foot of his bed. He couldn't help the smile that sprang up on his features: the physician and the dragon had really taken to each other and it was a rather heart-warming sight. He did not want to disturb the peaceful setting but he knew he had to speak to Aithusa as soon as possible so that they could get this business with the sorcerers and Morgana over and done with; the longer he delayed, the more lethal the threat became.

He tiptoed over and gently shook the dragon.

"Aithusa," he whispered, as Gaius continued snoring, his usual loud rumbles echoing throughout the room.

Aithusa woke up, blinking at Merlin. Swiftly, he conveyed to her that the time had come when they had to destroy Morgana's body, plus the sorcerers that wished to resurrect her. Aithusa acknowledged him by bestowing him with the information he needed. When Merlin discovered where Morgana's body was, he did not speak; he was stunned.

"But – but why would _they _have her body?"

The white dragon simply stared at him. Merlin felt his heart sinking; a knot of dread coiled itself inside his stomach. He had a terrible feeling that they had dwelled too long on this subject, that they should have acted sooner … that if the sorcerers found out where Morgana's body was, they would do anything to claim it … Merlin had assumed her corpse had been buried in some high, lonely place – not that it was being guarded …

He made his decision right in that moment. Yes, it was unexpected, yes it was reckless, yes it was unplanned and potentially extremely dangerous – but he had no choice.

"We have to go now," he muttered.

They were quick on their feet. Aithusa shuffled behind Merlin as he packed a bag full of provisions and put a finger to his lips, motioning her to follow him. Arthur would be furious if he found out that Merlin had started the mission without him, especially in the dead of night – but if there was a chance, even the slightest chance that the sorcerers would have somehow found out where the body was, Merlin knew that those guarding it would not stand a chance … He had to act right away – and the place where the witch's body lay was not far, he was sure he would be back before light …

Silently, they left the room and crept out of the castle, the darkness swallowing them.

Arthur woke up the next morning extremely late.

"Urg?" he grunted, peering about the dark room, vaguely wondering why there was no sunlight streaming in through his windows and if it was still night-time. However, this would have been very odd as he felt extremely well-rested …

Blinking hazily, he pulled himself out of bed, yawned loudly and stretched every inch of himself; he made his way towards the curtains, pulled them back and immediately shielded his eyes from the blinding sunlight that attacked his pupils. When he had readjusted his vision, he peered outside and realized with horror that it was close to midday.

His first reaction was fury. Where in the world was Merlin? He was supposed to wake him every morning with a tray of breakfast! Come to think of it, where was _breakfast? _Arthur's stomach was rumbling and his servant was nowhere to be seen. The king's face clouded, his mood in clear contrast to the bright, sunny day outside. He muttered dark things to himself as he marched over to the wash basin to wash his face.

However, once the initial displeasure at having a servant who had failed to wake his king subsided, concern started to creep slowly into Arthur's mind. It was very unlike Merlin to forget waking him; on the few occasions it had happened, there had been good reason for it. And considering the conversation they'd had last night, the truth was that it was downright worrying his friend should not turn up to wake him on that specific morning.

There was a knock on the door.

"Enter!" called Arthur, looking up hopefully.

Gaius entered the room and the king did not fail to notice the worry that lined his features.

"Good afternoon, Sire. I trust you slept well?"

"Yes," said Arthur grudgingly, disappointment rising in him. Where _was _Merlin?

"I slept well – a little too well, Gaius. Perhaps you would like to tell me where Merlin is? He may be a sorcerer but he _did _agree to wake me each morning and bring me my breakfast! I sincerely hope this has nothing to do with what he said last night about my being angry with him in the mornings!"

The worry on the physician's face intensified.

"Sire … Merlin has not been seen all morning. Nor has Aithusa."

"What? Well, where was he when you woke up?"

"Gone. No one knows where … no note, no word of leaving … his bed hasn't been slept in either."

Arthur was now deeply concerned for Merlin. He wouldn't have gone off on his own, would he, to find Morgana's body and defeat the sorcerers with the dragon? They had already agreed on the plan so why in the world would he do that? Arthur's nostrils flared; if Merlin had come up with some hare-brained scheme to somehow protect him, he would have his head. That was just the sort of thing he would do, too …

"Right, help me with my clothes, Gaius. We need to find that idiot Merlin."

"Your clothes, Sire?"

"Yes, my clothes. Quickly – my shirt is over there. You will have to dress me."

"_Me?_"

"Yes, Gaius, you. I know you had difficulty with it last time but I'm sure it won't be hard for you to remember how to do it the second time round; after all, you've done it before. Pass me my shirt."

Looking rather cluelessly at the five different white shirts which were hanging on the king's wardrobe door, Gaius pulled one of them down at random and held it out to Arthur, who was busy pulling his night-top over his head.

Arthur was about to take it from him, but instead stopped dead and stared.

"Gaius, once again you have pulled out Guinevere's night-dress. Really, is it so difficult to tell the difference between _my _shirt and the one the queen wears to bed? It's that one over there with the silver buttons!"

After about an hour, with a great deal of impatient tuts from Arthur and many gormless looks from Gaius as he struggled to figure out how to button the tunic and what boot fit which foot, the king was finally dressed.

"Gaius, you are a brilliant physician but quite possibly the worst dresser I have ever come across. Now let's go; we have to find Merlin. I think he may have gone to find Morgana's body – without me. If I find out this is true, he will wish he'd never been born."

"Find Morgana's body? But, Sire, where would we begin looking? Aithusa is the only one who knows where Morgana is buried; if she has told Merlin, they could be far from here by now. I am afraid the only thing we can really do is wait …"

"Gaius, Merlin and I agreed yesterday that I would find Morgana's body while he would defeat the sorcerers. It was difficult enough agreeing to him seeking the whereabouts of the sorcerers without back-up! To think that he has actually taken off without telling me – I don't understand why he would do that!"

"Arthur, if Merlin has renegaded on the plan then there has to be a very good reason for it. Merlin has only ever done what is best for you and Camelot, he would never leave in such a way unless he felt the situation was desperate. We don't even know if he _has _gone in search for Morgana or the sorcerers – something could have happened to him and Aithusa … we just don't know …

At these words, the concern that Arthur had initially felt for his servant multiplied, an uneasy feeling growing with uncomfortable rapidity inside him. He had not even stopped to consider that something may have happened to Merlin and the white dragon … Surely something could not have happened right after they had spoken last night? And how? Powerless as he felt to act, he knew he must do something, anything.

"We will have to search the kingdom," he said finally. Gaius nodded. "I will speak to the guards … If something has happened to Merlin and Aithusa … if they have been – taken – or abducted – we must search the kingdom thoroughly."

Arthur's voice was strong but Gaius did not fail to notice the underlining fear in his words.

"Yes, Sire," he said, and the two of them made off swiftly down the corridor to find the knights, each of them silent but both feeling the same apprehension at the uncertainty that faced them.


	13. Chapter 13

***Author's Note* **_Happy new year, everybody! Hope good fortune befalls you all in 2013! Please enjoy the latest chapter below – every story has its dark points, but we just have to trust that the light will reign supreme at the end! _

**Chapter Thirteen: What Merlin Found**

Had Arthur and Gaius only knew it, their efforts to search Camelot were entirely in vain. For Merlin was nowhere near the kingdom and, the truth was, he had no idea when – indeed, _if – _he would return. After slipping away in the dead of night with Aithusa, the sheer horror that engulfed him when he reached his destination made him realize how imperative it was that he find the sorcerers before the day was out. Find them and slay them …

For they, only moments before he left the castle, had succeeded in finding Morgana's body …

It was at the home of the druids where genuine terror took hold of him. When Aithusa told him it was the druids who were guarding Morgana's corpse, he had been filled with puzzlement, foreboding even; what purpose did they have for guarding her? And why, upon hearing this news, did an overpowering feeling of dread take hold of him? When he arrived at the druid camp, he discovered the reason for his anxiety.

Each and every druid in that camp had been slaughtered.

_This can't be, _Merlin thought as he walked slowly through the darkness and into the camp, the dragon following him as silently as she could, only the crunch of leaves beneath their feet betraying them. Tears sprang to his eyes as he saw the lifeless bodies beneath his feet; he had witnessed death before, of course. But the druids were a peaceful people; before, during Uther's reign, they had been hunted for having magic. Now it appeared they had been butchered by their own kind, for their wounds were not the work of swords, arrows or spears.

"Aithusa … what are we going to do?" he whispered, the chilling silence in the air apparent, the remnants of smoke from a burning fire the only sign of the life that once filled the camp.

Right then, there was a weak, moaning voice on the ground to his left.

"H-help … Emrys … help …"

Merlin rushed over to the sound immediately. He knelt down, the outline of a druid man his own age feebly reaching out to him, a great wound in his side yet another sign of the devastation that had befallen this place. He did not ask how the druid knew his name. He was used to the druids knowing exactly who he was. Immediately, he set about healing the man; but, as with Sir Leon, the druid had lost a lot of blood. In frustration, Merlin tried healing him again – but to no avail.

"Don't," said the man, grabbing Merlin by the hand. "Don't – waste your energy. I have not long left …"

"Aithusa!" said Merlin hoarsely, spinning round to face the dragon with a pleading look.

"Emrys, no," murmured the druid. "She must not abuse her powers … only yesterday she brought one back from the dead … my time is finished … Emrys, forgive us for what we have done …"

"Morgana," said Merlin, panic coursing through his bones.

"I must tell you … You must stop them. Emrys, we took Morgana's body. After she fell. We – have always believed in redemption – it is our custom … our belief … so different to the people of Camelot … We do not burn bodies, but let them rest in peace, in the ground … Morgana committed so many sins, but she was like us – of magic … despite her crimes she also deserved the burial we give to all our people. Our leader – he feared – some would come for her – for their own purpose – whether to destroy her or bring her back – but we thought her safe – only when it happened did we know – they had the dragon's power – we – we –"

The druid gasped and squeezed Merlin's hand tighter, the seconds of his life trickling away.

"What happened?" said Merlin desperately.

"They killed our leader – and everyone else – they took her from her tomb – Emrys, forgive us, please forgive us – we underestimated the power of the sorcerers – you must find them – stop them – they cannot be allowed to bring her back – only you can do it – Emrys – please – the great cave east of Odin's kingdom – Emrys, they know of Aithusa's connec – connec – urgghhhhhh –"

With that, the druid gave one final gasp, his hand went limp and released Merlin's hand; he lay, dead, on the ground, another corpse to add to the camp in the still of the night.

Slowly, Merlin stood up. He muttered a few words of prayer under his breath for the druid. His thoughts were reeling, his heart pumping uncontrollably. The sorcerers had found Morgana. How had this happened? How could it have happened so quickly? Why had he not acted sooner? He cursed himself in frustration – he should have dealt with this matter as soon as Aithusa had given him the information! He had underestimated their enemies; the defeat of Morgana, the victory of the last battle, Arthur safe – it had caused him to be lax; he should have been more alert, more on his guard! He was foolish to have thought things would suddenly be alright after the battle against Morgana's army – the danger was greater than he realized and now, once again, the threat of the witch loomed over their heads.

What was it that the druid had tried to tell him just before he died? They knew of Aithusa's connec? Connection perhaps?

A thought struck him.

"Can you sense where the sorcerers are?" he asked Aithusa.

His suspicions were confirmed when she shook her head morosely.

The sorcerers must have discovered the connection between Aithusa and themselves upon reaching the camp of the druids, that she could sense their whereabouts and somehow they had managed to destroy this. Wherever she had sensed they were last, they were no longer there. They were on the move all the time. What else was it the druid had said? The great cave east of Odin's kingdom? Was that where the sorcerers were now? Even now, in that moment, resurrecting Morgana? He had to act – fast.

"We must go to the cave east of the kingdom of Odin," he told Aithusa.

They set off without another word. The journey to Odin's kingdom would take several hours. Merlin did not stop to look back at the camp; the sight horrified him, weakened him – he would need all his strength against the sorcerers and – if indeed they succeeded in returning her – against Morgana. He had killed her once, but if she came back, he suspected it would not be so easy to do so again … Merlin knew that his magic would be tested to the very height of its powers. Often, before the final battle, he had anticipated a duel between himself and the witch. He had felt great relief afterwards that he had managed to kill her so swiftly, with the blade to her back. But now, with these dismaying events taking a turn for the worse, it appeared the day he hoped would never happen may indeed come to pass. And there would be three others fighting with her. Merlin picked up his speed, a fierce, determined expression on his face as his mind wandered back to Arthur and Camelot; he would not allow anyone to harm his king and if that meant killing Morgana again, this time with every last bit of magic he possessed, then so be it.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen: Galahad and the Maiden**

As Merlin embarked on his epic journey to defeat the three sorcerers and (possibly) Morgana, and Arthur, Gaius and the knights were spending a fruitless day searching for him (with Arthur, in an attempt to quell the anxiety he felt for his friend, promising to ring Merlin's neck once they found him) Galahad du Lac was exploring the shield room inside the castle.

It had been incredibly kind of the king to welcome him into the castle; when Arthur had discovered that Galahad was in fact the brother of Lancelot, he was told to spend as long as he liked in the royal court and to set off on his journey to find the Holy Grail whenever he chose. Gaius had researched the Grail, informing the king that the whereabouts of the cup were last seen some three hundred years ago and that finding the magical object itself would prove a perilous mission. Percival was insistent on accompanying Galahad and advised him to inform him when he intended to make a move.

Inside the shield room, Galahad found an entire shrine devoted to his brother, Lancelot. He and his brother had always been close growing up; the younger had admired the older greatly. He remembered the days when Lancelot had taken him out hunting, a mere boy he was then; the days his big brother had stopped the bullies of their village from pushing his head into a mound of dung within the stables – the bullies had fled, screaming, when Lancelot came after them, wielding a stick as though it were a sword. The times Lancelot would teach him, scold him, tease him … such times were gone forever and now they served only as memories, a shadow of the distant past long gone. He had not seen his older brother in seven years … but he missed him and it hurt even more to know that he would never see that gentle, smiling face again.

"Galahad."

Spinning round, unaware he had company, Galahad turned to see a woman. Surprise consumed him; he had not seen her before, not in the castle, the ground or in the town … and with her flowing raven locks and stunning blue eyes, she was quite possibly the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on.

After a moment, and relatively embarrassed by his obvious gawping, the young man pulled himself together.

"Can I help you, my lady?"

The woman smiled.

"Yes, Galahad, you can help me. There is a place I wish to show you."

Taken aback by this strange forwardness, Galahad's face registered clear puzzlement.

"My lady, do I know you?"

"You know me very well. I come to you often … Do you not recognize me?"

But the young man had no idea who she was.

"Alas, I do not."

The woman seemed unperturbed by his bemusement.

"Galahad, listen carefully. This kingdom is in great peril. Safe as it has been following the defeat of the witch, there are many, many more threats that will soon to appear. One has already risen. The great sorcerer, Merlin, needs your help."

"Merlin? But he is the most powerful warlock in existence – what could I possibly do to help him?"

Upon asking this question, the strange woman handed him a note.

"Read this," she said. "The words of a future scribe who knows of all your deeds."

Still greatly perplexed, Galahad took the note and opened it, reading:

_My good blade carves the casques of men_

_My tough lance thrusteth sure_

_My strength is as the strength of ten_

_Because my heart is pure._

He had absolutely no idea of its meaning and, furthermore, _who _exactly was this odd woman who stood before him?

But the woman simply gave a tinkling laugh at the sight of his baffled expression.

"All will be explained … But you must follow me."

Follow her? Follow her where?

"Where to, my lady?" he asked, voicing aloud his thoughts.

"To the forest. There is someone you must meet."

Galahad hesitated. There had been odd happenings in Camelot as of late. The attack on Merlin in the square … the near-death of Sir Leon … the king and his men searching for Merlin who had apparently gone missing … this beautiful, yet mysterious woman appearing out of nowhere, telling him that Merlin needed his help. When he had set off on his journey to seek an audience with the king, it had fully been with the intention of embarking on a quest for the Holy Grail. He had not thought for one moment that anything of this nature would occur. And this woman … so lovely, so cryptic, so entrancing was she … Could she be trusted?

As though she had read his mind, the woman said:

"Your quest for the grail begins today. Now … will you follow me? The young warlock is in danger. He cannot defeat them alone."

"Who is it that you speak of?"

"Follow me."

And Galahad felt he had no choice, for she had told him that Merlin was in danger and if there was a chance he could help, then there was nothing he could do but follow her.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen: The Mouth of the Cave**

The Kingdom of Odin, while on relatively good terms with Camelot these days, was not short of its various vagrants and rogues who sought every opportunity possible to earn a bit of cash. Whether it be kidnapping men to work as slaves, girls to work as prostitutes or children to beg for money from the more wealthy nobles of the kingdom, these slimy (usually toothless) braggarts relied heavily on their own misdeeds and dishonourable acts in order to fill their bellies with sumptuous food that they did not deserve, or money which they had no right to pocket.

So chancing upon Merlin while he was travelling through their forest, a gangling, rather pretty young man who looked as though he would reel in a good few pieces of gold, was like hitting the jackpot for one band of vagrants headed by Eldric Sod, an absolute cad if ever there was one. Of course, Sod and his men had no idea who Merlin was and, later, they wished they'd stayed far, far away.

"Well, well, well, well," grinned Sod, showing a mouthful of gums and three gold teeth as they entered the clearing in front of Merlin and Aithusa. He and his seven men had, having spotted this boy hurriedly walking through the forest with some weird-looking creature at his heels, stepped out in front of him, surrounding him so that he couldn't get past.

"What 'av we got 'ere then? Looks like a nice piece'a pie … Fink we'll get a nice bit'a dosh for this one, eh lads?" He turned to Merlin. "Lemme introduce meself – I'm Sod. Your new master."

His cronies guffawed loudly, nodding in great approval.

Merlin looked at them warily; he really didn't have time for this. It would be dark soon and he had to ensure he reached the cave as soon as possible. He had tried summoning Kilgharrah earlier but – his stomach lurched – the Great Dragon had not appeared. Horribly, he couldn't help thinking that maybe Kilgharrah was no longer with them on this earth – but he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. Wouldn't he have felt something if Kilgharrah had – died? He didn't really want to think about it, at any rate …

And another thing he most definitely did not want was this bunch of scroungers holding him up. He was already deeply concerned that he wouldn't be able to find this cave once exiting the forest. He was not familiar with Odin's land and he simply did not have the time to be wandering around searching for the hiding place of the sorcerers.

"I would prefer not to hurt you," he said in a loud, firm voice as the men closed in on him.

The wastrels broke out in hoots of laughter.

"'Urt us?" shrieked Sod, practically crying from hilarity. "Boy – you got 'umour. That'll raise the price of you somewhat."

"Get out of my way. You've got three seconds. One …"

But this simply invoked another round of racous laughter.

"Two –"

"'Ere, how much d'ya reckon we would get for that weird-lookin' fing wiv'im?"

"Dunno – prob'ly nuffin, init? Just frow it down a well or sumfin' –"

"Three!" shouted Merlin and he held out his hands, his eyes flashing orange. These vagrants were hugely irritating but it was their comment about Aithusa that really raised the warlock's hackles. He yelled out a word that the gang didn't understand and, a second later, they were blasted off their backs; they crumpled to the floor, some knocked unconscious, a couple moaning feebly.

Merlin walked over to the feet of their leader, his nose wrinkling. He was about to leave them there in their dazed stupor, remembering worriedly that he had to find the cave right away, before an idea flashed into his head. Why not take one of these vagrants with him? Surely they know the Kingdom of Odin like the back of their hands? Undoubtedly they had spent most of their lives scavenging among it.

Swiftly, he bent over and grabbed the leader by the scruff of his collar.

"Do you know where the great cave east of the Kingdom is?"

Sod, who was still reeling from the attack and clutching his head, groaning, managed to focus his eyes on Merlin; his pupils soon expanded in horror.

"You got magic!" he exclaimed.

"You don't say? Answer the question – do you know the great cave east of here?"

"Why should I tell you anyfin'?"

"Because," replied Merlin, pointing a threatening finger at the stupefied man, "if you don't, I am going to turn you into a very large, very juicy earthworm so the crows can feast on you for lunch."

Sod gulped.

"Now for the last time, do you know where the cave is?"

"Alright – yeah I knows where it is – so what?"

"Good. Because you're going to take me there."

Sod stared at him, terror-stricken; the prospect of going to the cave was even more deadly than being transformed into a worm.

"I can't go there! The place is crawlin' wiv' magic – I lost some of my men there only a few hours ago! Some sorcerers laid an enchantment on 'em and they turned to dust!"

That was it. The sorcerers had to be in the cave. And by the sounds of it, they were killing anyone who set foot near it.

"Right, well it's a good thing I'll be with you then, considering I've got magic too. Come on, get up."

And with that, he hauled Sod to his feet. Glaring mutinously at the warlock, the vagrant had no choice but to leave his men scattered unconscious all over the forest ground and lead Merlin to the great cave. Aithusa sniffed the outlaw in an interested way. Sod grimaced at her.

"Oh, and be nice to Aithusa. She's a dragon. I don't think she'd hesitate to set you on fire if you goaded her."

Muttering nasty things underneath his breath, Sod led the way and Merlin and Aithusa followed him. Merlin was highly relieved that he had thought to ask for directions; Sod clearly knew a shortcut through the forest and towards the cave, and it took them about an hour to get there.

The cave was enormous; dark, ominous and mostly silent; only the waves crashing to the left and the occasional call of an eagle broke through the rather eerie silence. The three came to a halt outside it; Merlin stared at the vast darkness apprehensively. This was it. The sorcerers were inside – as was Morgana. But whether she was alive or dead, he did not know.

"You can go," he said, turning to the vagrant, who looked thoroughly relieved and turned away to hurry back the way they'd came, eager to get out of that place. "Oh, and Sod?" Merlin called after his retreating back. "If I find out you've been trying to kidnap anyone else … Well, let's just say there are a lot of hungry crows in the forest."

Facing the cave once more as the leader of the bandits practically fled back to his men, Merlin took a deep breath before looking down at Aithusa, who stared back at him with her wide blue eyes.

"Ready?" he said, his heart fluttering slightly, bracing himself for whatever he would find inside.

The white dragon raised her head slightly to indicate her response. Together, they walked into the cave.


	16. Chapter 16

***Author's Note* **_Hi everybody! Well, the holidays are over so it's back to the dreary routine of work and pensions; I may be somewhat slower with my updates but I hope you continue to enjoy this story! Many thanks again to those of you who have reviewed, followed and favourited; it always creates a warm glow for the writer to know her work is appreciated – enjoy! _

**Chapter Sixteen: The Witch's Revenge**

The cave was pitch-black with many different openings and entrances, giving it the feel of a maze that one would find themselves wandering for days in, perhaps never to return to the sunlight; Merlin, who had used his magic to light his index finger on fire without causing him any pain (thus creating an orange glow within his vicinity of the cave) realized with despair that this maze could take him forever to find what he was looking for. His heart leaped when he caught sight of a footprint in front of one of the dark entrances to the left; he muttered a few words under his breath and immediately he could see the path to where the tracks led. He knew with certainty that they must be the footprints of one of the sorcerers.

With Aithusa at his heels, he hurried down the path, twisting and turning at regular intervals. It was only about an hour later that he reached his destination; he froze, his stomach curling in horror at the sight that lay before him.

There were three sorcerers standing around a corpse, firelight surrounding them. One of them was Sefa, the dancing, crazed look in her blue eyes making her barely recognizable. They were holding hands and chanting loudly. One of the words Merlin caught was 'áræman' meaning 'rise.'

The young warlock sprang into action.

"Dæl!" he roared, holding his hand out in front of him, his eyes flashing orange. The sorcerers barely had time to turn their heads before they were thrown high into the air; the two male sorcerers were not quick enough to counter-attack and their bodies slammed against the hard cold stone of the cave. The other, Sefa, managed to scream out a word and she was frozen in mid-air before settling feet-first on the ground again. Merlin ran towards her, his heart pumping fiercely and the two stared at each other, Sefa glaring hatefully at her adversary.

"How did you find us?" she hissed.

"Magic," Merlin panted, coming to a halt. "I see you've gained some magic of your own since we last met."

Sefa smirked. The girl he remembered, the one who was so sweet, so kind and accommodating despite her betrayal, could not be found.

"You are not wrong. This was my father's last gift to me before he died … before your people killed him."

Merlin's expression hardened.

"Your father was a threat to Camelot and the king. His actions could have destroyed everything we had worked hard for, the chance of a united Albion, a land where those with magic can roam just as freely as those without it."

Sefa smiled bitterly.

"Magic can roam freely? Only Morgana could have made this dream possible – Arthur and his kind have done nothing but destroy this land. And you, Merlin – you are the biggest villain of all; you betrayed your own people! You killed Morgana –"

"There was no treachery here other than your own, Sefa!" said Merlin angrily. "Yours, Morgana's, all of you with magic who claimed the desire for a better Albion! Morgana turned her back on those who loved her; you murdered the druids, people who have done you no harm! And you speak to me of treachery? All of you, so blinded, so misguided, poisoned by Morgana's hatred, not realizing that in your quest for a 'better world' you have committed more evil than Uther himself did in his time! And you, Sefa? What happened to the sweet, innocent girl I once knew? She would never condone what has been done!"

"She is long dead!" Sefa snarled, her eyes flashing bright yellow, his last comments clearly stinging her. "She died when her father was killed! The only person in my life who I loved and who loved me deeply. Taken from me! But you and your kind are used to doing that, aren't you, Emrys?" she added with a sneer. "Taking those who are dear from others? And now it appears you are too late!"

A triumphant expression arose on her manic features.

"All this while we have rabbited on … You with your condemnations, your foolishness and your misguided intent. Look behind you."

It was then that Merlin realized how Sefa had been distracting him from the real threat at bay, the one he had come here for in the first place. Slowly, with much dread and trepidation, he turned around. The two sorcerers still lay crumpled on the floor, shaking their heads as they managed to regain consciousness from the blow … Aithusa was nowhere to be seen … and there, beneath the orange firelight and amidst the brooding darkness, she stood before him, her hair wild and tangled, her skin pale and grey, holes marring her features, her beauty faded; a corpse that lived and breathed …

"Hello, Emrys," said Morgana, a curved smile twisting her sunken features.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen: The Final Battle**

The ugliness that had once raged in the soul of Morgana Pendragon could now be seen quite clearly in the physical form that stood before Merlin. Barely recognizable, she was akin to the hag that had once allied itself with the witch. In her most innocent years, Morgana's beauty had been famed far and wide; in darker years, it had been spoken of in hushed whisperings, still prevalent, yet tarnished by the evil that dwelled within her; now, as Merlin's feeling of horror grew rapidly within him, her inner matched her outer and her true face was finally revealed.

"Are you surprised to see me, Merlin?" said Morgana softly, her voice cruel and mocking. "I suspect the answer is yes … After all, one does not expect to see those whom one has already killed."

Merlin steadied himself. She may have returned but that only meant one thing. He had to destroy her.

"You know, you surprised me," continued Morgana in that taunting voice, now circling Merlin, whose body was so stiff he was practically frozen rigid, "and no, I don't mean the fact that you turned out to be the 'great Emrys' – though, of course, that was a shock in itself. I speak of how you killed me – a knife to the back, Merlin, really …? I would have expected something so simple and crude from my fool of a brother. But not you, the supposed greatest sorcerer who ever lived."

"Supposed?" said Merlin, finally finding his voice, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead. "I defeated you, Morgana. In the end, your hatred got the better of you. Arthur won."

"Ah, yes … But complacency got the better of you, did it not? So much for being such a powerful sorcerer – within two weeks, all four of my faithful servants have succeeded in resurrecting me."

She gestured towards the two sorcerers, who had recovered from their blows to the head and were advancing towards them, and Sefa, who stood behind Morgana, smiling widely.

"Four? I think you mean three, Morgana. Or has returning from the dead caused you to forget your ability to count?"

"No, Emrys … Four. Aithusa – come out, my sweet."

The dragon, who had been missing since they entered the room, came shuffling towards Morgana from behind a rock; the witch stroked her head with gentle affection.

Merlin stared, his lips slightly parted, his mind aghast …

_No, it can't be … it can't be …_

"Aithusa has been working with the sorcerers from day one," smirked Morgana, relishing the sight of Merlin's appalled face.

"Aithusa – how could you?" he cried, disbelief marring his features as he stared at the small dragon who did not look at him.

"Oh come now, Merlin, you can't seriously have thought that Aithusa would ever switch allegiance to you, could you? Aithusa and I share a bond … She could not have killed you herself because you are a Dragonlord – yes, I know this too – so she brought you to me where I could finish you off myself. And I don't mind telling you that I will take great pleasure in doing so. You are all alone here, Emrys. Your time is finished."

Merlin could not believe what was happening. He had trusted Aithusa, he had truly believed that her loyalty lay with him … Saving Sir Leon, had that all been a ploy to gain his trust? An overwhelming sense of betrayal and sadness consumed him. But he could not allow these emotions to get the better of him now. He was in serious trouble. Morgana, the three sorcerers and Aithusa all stood against him. Great warlock he may be … but he was not the only one with magic in the room.

"Do you wish me to dispose of him, my lady?" said Sefa, a wild manic glint in her eyes.

"No – the honour is mine. An eye for an eye, Emrys. You killed me once. Now it is your turn. _Feorh!_"

A great fireball blasted from Morgana's hand and Merlin only jumped away in the nick of time. But Morgana was relentless with her attacks; fire spurted from her hands, rocks tumbled down from the ceiling in an attempt to kill him with one blow to the head – Merlin gathered himself swiftly; yelling out a few words of magic, he deflected Morgana's flying rocks and dispelled her fire with great jets of water. The sorcerers were cheering loudly, Sefa laughing in boisterous yells; Morgana vanished in a whirl of dust and appeared at Merlin's side, her hand smacking him violently on the face; Merlin staggered backwards but he muttered a few words under his breath and the seam of Morgana's tattered dress clasped itself around her throat, strangling her relentlessly. The sorcerers abruptly stopped cheering and Merlin heard an angry scream; he was blasted off his feet and the dress released itself from Morgana's neck. He landed with a sickening thud on the ground and Morgana approached him, hatred sparking inside her eyes, her voice rasping:

"Enough fun and games. Prepare to die!" she hissed. Grabbing something from the hand of Sefa, who was quickly by her side, she raised her hand high into the air and Merlin, through the dust that was tainting his eyesight, saw a dagger in her palm.

He started to utter the words that would throw her backwards but she was too quick for him. The dagger was inches from his chest and then –

Flames devoured the witch. In utter confusion, Merlin watched as Morgana screamed in panic as a sudden firestorm engulfed her. She writhed and twisted while the sorcerers watched in horror; Sefa was about to counter the fire with a water attack but then Merlin heard a high-pitched shriek and the sorceress was thrown into the wall. Her body fell to the floor, immobile. Merlin did not waste any time; he leapt to his feet and his heart almost stopped when he saw Aithusa, standing resolutely before the screaming Morgana, her breath lighting the flames even higher.

"AITHUSAAA – WHHHYYYYYYYYY –" Merlin heard the torturous shrieks of the witch as her entire body slowly disintegrated to mere ashes. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the two sorcerers who were finally springing into action; he did not give them a chance.

"_Hrycg!_"he roared at them, and the sorcerers slammed back against the wall, their skulls cracked.

It was all over in a matter of seconds. Aithusa sprayed bursts of water on the flames and Morgana was nowhere to be seen; only a pile of ashes remained on the ground. Two of the sorcerers were dead. Sefa was unconscious. Merlin turned to the white dragon. He had thought she'd betrayed him … but all this time she had her own plan, one that ensured the destruction of Morgana and the sorcerers so that the three could never pose a threat to Albion again.

"Aithusa … you …?"

The dragon walked slowly over to Merlin, burying her head under his palm. Large tears were spilling from her blue eyes. Merlin swallowed and in that moment he understood.

"I know," he said quietly, "you loved her. So did I. So did all of us. But she hadn't changed. She didn't want to change. You had no choice … none of us ever did. Better to be dead than have such an existence."

For a while, they simply stood there. Merlin, despite the horrors that he had experienced today, breathed a sigh of relief. Morgana was gone … she was never coming back … He looked at the unconscious Sefa who he knew would have to be taken to Camelot and placed in high security … But they could at last breathe easy that one threat was finally gone for good …

It was only when he heard the thunder of footsteps coming towards the room that he froze in the act of stroking Aithusa. Not the footsteps of one, two or even three people … but a stampede of many.

As he turned towards the entrance of the room, dread entered his heart. It appeared Sefa and the sorcerers were not the only ones aware of Morgana's resurrection that day … and by the looks of things, it was not quite as over as he had thought.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen: The Unknown Dragonlord**

Galahad had absolutely no idea where this woman was leading him. Several times it entered his mind that this could all be a trap (for what reason someone would wish to trap him, he did not know) and he was therefore grateful that he had thought to arm himself with a sword. The calamitous recent events in Camelot had caused all citizens to be extra-wary, whether it be ensuring they were inside their homes at the twilight hour or arming themselves with weapons in the event of an attack.

"We are here."

It was in the forest just outside of Camelot that the strange woman had led him to. Nothing but trees, thickets and the chirruping of birds disturbed the peaceful scenery.

"What are we doing here?" said Galahad, eyeing the place warily, hand hovering above his sword.

The woman smiled.

"I want to be where no one can hear us."

His heart started to beat faster; how foolish of him to come here alone with this mysterious stranger; she could be any type of villain – and he would have been fooled into coming, first because she was a lady, second – he could not deny it – because of her overwhelming beauty. What a fool he was! His brother would not have made such a mistake, he was sure about that …

He backed away from her.

"I would like to know the reason you have brought me to this forest."

"Do not be afraid. Come closer to me. There is something I want you to do."

He obliged, but his hand remained on his belt just in case.

"What is it you wish of me?" he asked.

She stepped forward, her face so near to his that he could feel her soft breath on his skin. She raised a hand to his face and gently caressed his cheek with her palm.

"I want you to call a dragon," she whispered.

Bemusement replaced Galahad's foreboding.

"I do not understand you," he said finally.

"I want you to call for a dragon," she repeated. "The Great Dragon will respond if you call for him."

Galahad stared at her. The woman was clearly mad.

"As I said, my lady, I do not understand your meaning. I have never seen a dragon. I have certainly never called for one. I will now take leave and return to the castle."

He held out a hand to her, to lead her away from the forest; it was clear she had some kind of mental affliction. Perhaps the court physician, Gaius, would be able to help her …

But she simply stared at his hand before raising her deep blue eyes to his own.

"Galahad du Lac, you are the brother of Lancelot, one of the finest knights Camelot had ever seen. Yet your destiny within the kingdom shall be just as significant, if not more so. You have never seen a dragon … But as a Dragonlord, if you call for one, he will come."

Galahad froze, staring at her in astonishment.

"A Dragonlord? My lady, I fear you are greatly mistaken … it is best we return to the castle now –"

But her eyes flashed and an urgent expression lit her face.

"There is no time. Emrys is in danger – only you can help him. You have your sword? Good. Now call for the dragon. Imagine him – imagine a dragon of such greatness, such beauty, such history – now imagine that you are his master and he must come to you."

Galahad, still gazing at her as though she was seriously disturbed, figured it would probably be best to humour her. Once she realized no dragon was coming, she would surely come with him back to the castle and he could speak to Gaius about concocting a remedy for her poor mind.

He cleared his throat.

"Ahem – Dragon, I command you to show yourself!"

Nothing happened. He turned back to the women, shrugging his shoulders, holding out a hand to her once more. But a smile crept across the woman's mouth and she shook her head.

"No. Close your eyes, imagine the dragon and call. Concentrate."

Galahad sighed inwardly. Was there really time for this? If indeed Merlin was in danger, they had to rush back to the castle and warn the king. But first he had to appease this insane woman for it appeared she was the only one who knew what was wrong with the young warlock – if, of course, this was not some twisted prank this stranger was playing on him.

He closed his eyes. He pictured a dragon. He had heard rumours that a Great Dragon still existed within Camelot … that years ago, when Uther Pendragon had still been king, this dragon had escaped and wreaked havoc on Camelot. He tried to imagine an enormous dragon, ancient and powerful, breathing flames of fire through its nostrils. He then imagined himself calling out to it.

What happened next was far beyond his comprehension and shocked him both during and after it happened. Incomprehensible words escaped his lips in a language he had never spoken before, but automatically knew the meaning of; his voice was loud and powerful; his head rose to the sky, searching for the great beast that he _knew _would come, but at the same time he had no idea how he could possibly know that. Once he had finished shouting in that loud, rasping voice, he fell silent, stunned, wondering what on earth had just happened …

Then, out of the skies, it came. A huge dragon, a mythical beast of power and majesty, its enormous wings creating a fierce gust of wind as it landed on a large spot before him. Galahad yelled and jumped backwards, his hand flying to his sword. The woman was simply smiling next to him. The huge beast enveloped its wings back into place and stared at Galahad with flaming yellow eyes.

Then it spoke.

"Ah," it said, a strange note of amusement in its voice, "it appears another Dragonlord has entered Camelot. This is not the first time I have met one so small who wields such great power. Galahad … the great heart."

Galahad had no idea what to say. He gazed motionlessly at the dragon, clueless and speechless.

The dragon chuckled.

"Do not be afraid, young one. Nostalgia has found me today … Many years ago, the great warlock, Merlin, looked at me with quite the same face when he saw me for the first time. And now … he is in danger and we must go to him."

Struggling to make sense of these words, Galahad finally managed to speak.

"Sir," he said, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead, "I am afraid there must be some mistake. I – I am not a warlock, I do not have magic. I do not know how I called you – forgive me –"

"You are right, young Galahad. You are not a sorcerer. But you do have magic of another kind. And not just the ability to call dragons."

He turned to the woman whom he seemed to have noticed for the first time.

"Ah … Freidrayal … This is your doing?"

The woman looked up at him, her beautiful face shining.

"It is the doing of destiny, Kilgarrah," she said.

Kilgarrah turned back to the young man.

"Come. Ride on my back."

"I – I'm sorry?"

"Ride on my back. There is no time to explain. Merlin is in danger. Would you waste precious seconds at the risk of his life?"

There was not another word to be said. Galahad, realizing action must take precedence over understand this perplexing situation, ran towards the dragon and leapt onto his back. The dragon took off into the air and Galahad felt the rush of blasting wind on his face as he soared through the air, the woman on the ground staring unremittingly up at them until they had flown right out of sight.


	19. Chapter 19

***Author's Note* **_Hi everyone, just want to apologize for the delay with this chapter. Hope you're not too annoyed with me, the new year brings with it old duties and new challenges – please enjoy!_

**Chapter Nineteen: The Gift of Galahad**

Merlin was in trouble and he knew it. He may have defeated the sorcerers and the walking corpse of Morgana, but the fifty or so new sorcerers that stood before him were not something to be taken lightly. Each of them, male and female, had a leer on his or her face; each one was dressed in a red hooded cloak, immediately giving Merlin the impression that they were part of some kind of magical cult.

"How can this be?" he whispered to Aithusa.

As though hearing him, one of the male sorcerers said loudly:

"That bandit told no lie. It is indeed Emrys."

Merlin's mind worked swiftly; could he be referring to that toothless criminal, Sod? Had the sorcerers somehow ran into Sod, who had told them about him? What other explanation was there?

He cleared his throat.

"You are wasting your time," he said at large. "She is dead. I killed her again and destroyed her body. Leave now or perish before me."

Though he was the most powerful sorcerer to walk the earth, Merlin could not contain the slight quiver in his voice. It did not go unnoticed by the sorcerers who sneered.

"We have no interest in the witch," said one, smirking. "All we want is for your head, Emrys. We were not in league with Morgana but we aren't too fond of you … The biggest magical traitor there ever was. Get ready to die!"

Merlin reacted immediately. He managed to blast ten sorcerers into the air; Aithusa breathed fire at another group, who hissed at her. But there were too many … Even Merlin, with all his power, could not contend against so many magical beings when he was backed into a corner …

It was a miracle what happened next. One moment he was in despair, thinking that of all places and times to meet his end, after everything he had achieved and been through, it would be _here, _the next was the strong blast of Kilgarrah's wings appearing outside the cave and – to Merlin's shock – Galahad running towards him, sword swinging as he surveyed the sorcerers with a determined expression on his face.

"Galahad – what are you doing here?" gasped Merlin.

"I was told you were in trouble," said Galahad, still holding out his sword and fiercely gazing at the sorcerers, who started to laugh at the sight of him. This man, not even a knight, daring to brandish a sword at them? They would show this foolish mortal not to mess with the great powers of magic …

But, remarkably, when one of the sorcerers uttered a spell against Galahad, it did not work. Instead, it backfired and the sorcerer screamed, before exploding into dust. Another tried; the same thing happened. In the confusion, at least half of the sorcerers tried to attack Galahad and met the same fate. With the numbers cut, Merlin and Aithusa were successfully able to get rid of the remaining sorcerers; the ones that survived fled the cave, yelling in terror. With Merlin, Galahad and the small dragon the only ones left in the cave after that exhilarating, shocking confrontation, there was now silence.

Merlin was staring at Galahad at both awe and disbelief.

"How did you – how did you _do _that?" he asked. "Do you have magic?"

Galahad shook his head.

"No … But I have a power, one that Kilgarrah told me of. Only … only I didn't know exactly how it would work. I don't really understand it all myself …"

"_Kilgarrah _brought you here? But – but how?"

"I'm a dragonlord," replied Galahad, and Merlin's eyebrows flew into his hair. "I didn't even know it myself before an hour ago. But this lady came to me, she told me you were in danger and the dragon demanded I help you – and of course, I knew I must. Merlin … was – was the Lady Morgana really resurrected?"

"Yes. But she's dead. I destroyed her. Galahad – you saved my life. I shan't forget it."

Galahad shook his head quickly.

"I didn't really do anything. I didn't know what would happen. I was certain I was running to my death. But … then they all … they just …"

Merlin patted him on the arm.

"I know. And I'd like to hear more about this power of yours. Come on … we should get back to Camelot as soon as possible."

"Ah yes. The king has been sending out search parties for you."

"Uh oh. Knowing Arthur, he's probably worried sick – and I'm going to be getting a real bollocking when I get back!"


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty: Back to Camelot**

A bollocking indeed.

"MERLIN!" roared Arthur, his face puce, as though about to burst a blood vessel. Merlin braced himself. He had to admit, he would rather face those three sorcerers and all their evil schemes once more than face the wrath of the king, who was storming towards him, Gaius hurrying at his heels. Arthur was enraged, his hand flying instinctively to his belt and Merlin felt a gulp slide down his throat.

"_Where have you been?_" shouted Arthur, coming right up to Merlin, his nose touching the sorcerer's nostrils. Only seconds before, Merlin, Galahad and Aithusa had entered the dining hall where Arthur had been sitting at the table with an uneaten plate of dinner, his face deeply anxious. Now though, he looked like a great fiery bull that had just been provoked by a waving flag.

"Ah – now Arthur, don't be upset –"

"Upset? _Upset? _UPSET, YOU IMBECILIC CLOTPOLE? OH, WHY WOULD I BE UPSET? NEVER MIND THE FACT THAT I'VE SPENT THE ENTIRE DAY SEARCHING FOR YOU, WORRIED SICK OUT OF MY MIND, HAD THE KNIGHTS AND GUARDS ROAMING AROUND THE KINGDOM FOR YOU, WONDERING WHERE YOU WERE, WONDERING IF YOU WERE ACTUALLY ALIVE – I'LL GIVE YOU _UPSET!_"

With that, the king lunged for Merlin. Merlin, unable to bring himself to conjure a shield in order to protect himself, yelled and dived to the side. What ensued next was Merlin running frantically around the long, rectangle dining table shouting out excuses for his disappearance, Arthur sprinting after him in a mad furious frenzy, Gaius waving his hands up and down in a futile attempt to bring some kind of order to the room, Guinevere (who had been sitting with Arthur during dinner trying to soothe him) calling out, "Arthur! Arthur, calm down!" and falling on deaf ears, and Galahad watching with his mouth hanging half open at the commotion before their eyes, with Aithusa hiding behind him.

"I went to find Morgana and the sorcerers!" hollered Merlin, leaping over a chair, tripping and almost landing in a bowl of soup. "I destroyed them all – I had to go, Arthur, there was no time, it would have just been dangerous if you had come along – !"

"DANGEROUS?" bellowed the king, sword swinging. "DANGEROUS? DIDN'T EVEN LEAVE A NOTE! I AM THE KING AROUND HERE, I DECIDE WHAT'S DANGEROUS OR NOT!"

"Arthur, would you just calm down and _listen _to him please!" said Guinevere, jumping up anxiously and grabbing her husband by the arm, bringing him to a standstill for the moment. Arthur's nostrils breathed in and out at an alarming rate.

"Yes – that's right, Arthur –" said Merlin in an extremely cautious manner, also coming to a stop, "just do as Gwen says and calm down – arghhh!"

He ducked as a large plate of pheasant and brussel sprouts came flying towards his head.

Eventually, the queen did manage to soothe the irate Arthur, though it took all her skills of doing so to achieve it. Arthur sat down, as did she, Gaius, Merlin (on the other side of the table, so as to keep a safe distance) and Galahad. Aithusa settled her head on Gaius's lap, much to the physician's liking.

"Talk." said Arthur shortly. "You have two minutes to explain everything before I throttle your neck."

So, in very fast tones because he had no doubt that the king would indeed throttle his neck just as much as he threatened to, Merlin informed Arthur about what had happened; how he had discovered the druids were in possession of the body, how he feared the druids' fate, how his fears were confirmed when he arrived at the camp, how he travelled to the Kingdom of Odin to find the sorcerers, how he had confronted them only to find Morgana had risen, how he had fought Morgana and killed her again, how he had destroyed the sorcerers, how more sorcerers had arrived and – last but by no means least – how Galahad had arrived on the great dragon and defeated the sorcerers almost single-handedly while not even raising his hand against them. Oh, and there was of course the journey back to Camelot (they had to walk as Kilgarrah had claimed he was far too tired to fly them back) where they had bumped into Sod and his men who were in the middle of tying up three girls they had dragged out to the forest. True to his word, Merlin transformed Sod into a crow and it flew into a tree, cawing at Merlin in an infuriated manner. The bandits had ran for it.

All the while Merlin was talking, the king and the others were listening in the greatest astonishment. Arthur's anger slowly ebbed away and, true to his nature, was soon replaced by admiration and appreciation for the young warlock, no different to the same feelings he had felt in recent weeks.

"Well, Merlin, I am still not happy about the fact that you took off without a word," said the king once Merlin had finished his tale, "but we owe you a great debt once more. You have rid us of that same evil which plagued us not too long ago and we thank you for it. We will of course further discuss with Galahad –" he gestured to the young man, who bowed his head – "about his abilities as a dragonlord and his role in all of this. But never _ever _again take off without leaving word of where you are, you hear?"

"Loud and clear, sire," said Merlin, unable to prevent his mouth twitching.

"Good. Now – let's eat. I suddenly feel hungry. Guards – tell the cook to bring more food!"

As they settled down to eat supper, the maids hurriedly bringing more trays of pheasant, potatoes and soup to the table, Gaius leaned over to Merlin and whispered:

"Welcome back – and well done. And Arthur's right, Merlin – don't ever do that again. I don't think my heart can take it."

"I won't, Gaius," said Merlin, looking into the eyes of one of his oldest and dearest friends. "I promise. Now – how about some of this pheasant? It looks like a very fine bird!"


	21. Chapter 21

***Author's Note* **_Hi everybody! First of all, I'd like to once again thank those of you have followed this story through, both members of Fanfic and non-members; I hope I have provided you with some enjoyment since the demise of our favourite show! Similarly, I am very grateful to all those who have left such thoughtful reviews, they are most appreciated. Secondly, I have a little surprise for you. I always said to myself that if I ever reached 100 reviews, I would award the 100__th__ Reviewer with a little cameo role in the next chapter, just for giggles and fun – so congratulations to Samantha aka Blueyzangel, the 100__th__ Reviewer, who poses as a love interest for Sir Percival! Enjoy!_

**Chapter Twenty-one: Ladies' Man Percival**

The next day, to celebrate the safe return of Merlin and the (second) death of the witch who had come so close to spreading her tyranny once more, King Arthur arranged for some of the knights, the Young Warlock, Gaius, Sir Leon (who was fully healed thanks to Gaius's excellent care) and Galahad to go to the tavern that evening, so that they may enjoy a night out together – as they had done many times before Arthur became king – and also try some of the food offered by the new management at the inn, which many of the locals had been speaking of in the highest regard. This was declined by Gaius, who felt the days of spending a night out on the town were long gone and instead he retreated to his chambers in order to prepare some more remedies (especially ones to cure the ailment of drunkenness, which he was sure the knights specifically would fall prey to.)

So they set out at that evening, talking and laughing amongst one another and arrived at the inn, taking a seat towards the very back. Everyone bowed as the king walked past them and a group of serving girls who were accompanying their master for his evening meal giggled as the knights – who were the object of every female in the kingdom's affection – sauntered past. Galahad was rather pink with pleasure at being part of such a prestigious group and they all sat down, a serving girl approaching them to ask what they would like.

"Ale for me," said Arthur. "Merlin? What would you like? Orange juice?"

"I can handle a bit more than orange juice, thanks," replied Merlin, while the knights laughed.

"You can?" said Arthur, in pretend amazement. "Then how come you're always on the floor after a pint of – no, half a pint – wait, make that a quarter – of mead?"

"There's no need to confuse me with yourself, Arthur," was the wry response. "I could drink you under the table and you know it."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Ten jugs of your strongest mead," said Arthur to the girl. Merlin's eyes widened as Arthur smirked at him. "And that's just for myself and the court magician here. The rest of you order whatever you like. Oh, and Merlin? No cheating. You're not allowed to use magic to help you drink more than you can actually handle."

An hour later, the inn was growing noisier and noisier; Arthur's and Merlin's drinking competition was being enthusiastically egged on by a number of punters; Arthur was outdoing Merlin by two jugs and still going strong, apart from the occasional hiccup, and Merlin was struggling with the one jug, his bladder feeling fit to burst every fifteen minutes, causing frequent trips outdoors to empty it. The knights were rather tipsy from their own jugs of ale, while Galahad – who was not really the drinking type – was engaged in a conversation with a pretty serving girl, who was tittering at the sight of Merlin and the king, whose eyes were glazing over.

"Sssho," said one of the knights, Sir Erec, who was already full-blown drunk. "Anyone gonna order ssshum food?"

"Goodness, Erec, get a hold of yourself, will you?" said another knight, Sir Berdren, who was distinctly sober and looking at Sir Erec with a rather wrinkled nose. "Drunk after a couple of pints! Learn to handle your liquor, man."

"Ah, shaddup, Berd."

"I'll be leaving soon," said Sir Leon. "We'd better order some food now. Shall I ask the king what he would like?"

"Where are you going later?" questioned Pervical.

"Oh," said Sir Leon, his voice becoming airy, "it's nothing major. Just a nice young lady I met a while ago. She had asked me to visit her later, she said she had been very concerned about me and would I like to go and see her …"

There was a great deal of 'Ooooohs!' from the knights and Leon went rather red, hastily waving his hand at their sleazy insinuations.

"It's nothing like that," he said in a rushed way. "Simply wants to give me a patchwork quilt – she's very good at patch-work, you know, and she said it will help me with my head injury, a special type of fabric … It is very kind of her, I intend to express my sincerest gratitude."

"Yeah, yeah," grinned Percival. "Sounds to me like she wants more than just your thanks, my friend."

"Yeah, ssshounds like she wants your –" began the mischievous Sir Erec in his slurring tone, but his voice was drowned out by a great cheer from the punters; Arthur had, quite literally, drank Merlin under the table and was currently helping him to his feet. There were great bangs of fists on the table as everyone roared their approval at the king's victory; Arthur himself was grinning around in rather a drunken way, and he slumped Merlin – who could see four of everything – on the chair.

"Might I remind you, Sir Erec, that we are knights of Camelot and we do not engage in such lewd behaviour," came the stiff voice of Sir Berdren, staring disapprovingly at Sir Erec who was swigging down another pint of ale.

"Who shhhez anything about being lewd? Nothing wrong with ssshpending time with a fine woman!"

"What's all this, what's all this?" came the voice of the king, who took a seat beside them, practically carrying Merlin with him. "Who's talking about fine women?"

"Leon's going to see a lady tonight," grinned Percival.

"Indeed?" said Arthur, his eyebrows shooting upwards as he turned to stare at his commander of knights. "Well, well! I didn't know you had it in you, Leon!"

Sir Leon went beetroot red.

"As I told this lot, sire, she is just a friend –"

"You know, I've never really asked you all about your other halves," said Arthur loudly, gazing around at the table. "I, of course, have my darling Guinevere –" a soppy, slavish look came into his glazed eyes – "who is the beacon of light in my existence, the rose among weeds, a rose without thorns, whose beauty far surpasses all the wonders and jewels of this world, the one to whom my heart forever beats …"

No one knew quite what to say to this; Sir Leon coughed.

"Indeed, the queen is a most fine lady," he said eventually. Arthur continued to stare into space with that faraway gaze before finally snapping out of it; he shook his head.

"So – come on, out with it. We know that Sir Leon here obviously has a new fancy woman – and make sure you bring her to court one day, Leon, I would like to meet the girl who has stolen the heart of one of my finest knights."

He slapped him on the back. Leon nodded helplessly.

"Yes, sire."

"Now, the rest of you. Berdrern, any woman on the scene?"

"Your majesty," began Berdren in a dignified way, "I am married to my role as a knight of Camelot."

"That'shh hissshh way of sshaying he isshn't into girlssshhhh," whispered Sir Erec to Sir Percival; unfortunately, the whisper was far too loud. Sir Berdren stared at him, enraged.

"Perhaps you would like to say that outside, Erec?" he said threateningly.

"No, no," said Sir Erec hastily. "Nothing wrong with not being into girlssshhhh …"

Before Sir Berdren could angrily retort, Arthur turned to Percival.

"What about you, Percival? Any love interest?"

"Me? No, sire," was the reply. Merlin came round at that moment and realized what they were all talking about.

"Percival's a bit shy around women," he said grinning, despite his head still throbbing horribly.

"I am not," said Percival.

"Ah, wait, I remember," said Arthur. "There was that girl who gave you that note, declaring her love for you … and you ran off. Oh yes, I remember now!"

He roared with laughter, as did the majority of the table. Percival went pink.

"I assure you, I have no problem with the ladies," he said.

"Well, prove us wrong then," said Arthur, the usual challenging look coming into his eyes. "Go on – choose a woman and make your move."

"But – sire –"

"Oh, come on, Perssshy, show usssh what you got," slurred Erec.

"OK … fine."

Not feeling like he had a choice – his reputation was at stake here! – Percival scanned the bar and his eyes landed on a voluptuous bar maid who was busy serving the punters; she had stunning blue eyes and long hazelnut-coloured hair. He stared; in fact, he couldn't stop staring and could not believe he had not noticed her before.

He gawping did not go undetected.

"I think Percival's chosen his victim," grinned Arthur. "Go on, go up there and talk to her!"

At the shooing and insistence of his companions, Percival got up, his heart fluttering somewhat, and made his way to the bar, wondering what he was going to say. The punters had just left and the young woman turned to him.

"What can I get you, sir?" she asked him. Her voice was sweet and light.

"Er …" he began, feeling rather tongue-tied. He turned round to look at the others; they were sniggering into their hands; Leon gave him a thumbs-up.

"Er …" he said again, turning back to face the barmaid, who stared at him inquisitively.

_Think of something witty to say! _he thought.

"Well … how about … you?" he said, his voice going low with a slight purr; but from the look on her face, his attempt at seduction had failed disastrously.

"I'm sorry?" she said, confused.

Percival cleared his throat, highly embarrassed.

"Ahem! I mean, how about you … get me a big pint of ale?"

"Coming right up," she said, and she moved off to fill up a pint, leaving Percival feeling like he had just been smacked in the face with a brick.

He turned round once again only to see the king and the others urging him on with their eyes and to hear the occasional, humiliating shout from Sir Erec, "Get in there, Perrshhy!" He turned back round in haste, hoping her ears weren't as good as his.

_Just ask for her name – ask for her name!_

"So – my lady – could I at all trouble you for your, er, well – if you don't mind, what is your, well, your name?" said Percival, flustered, and cursing himself for being flustered at all.

The barmaid looked at him out of her piercing ocean eyes as she handed him the pint; there was a slightly amused glint in her pupils.

"It's Samantha," she said.

"Ah – Samantha. That's, ah, a very pristine name."

_Pristine? _he thought, furious with himself.

"Thank you," she said, smiling.

"And – Samantha – perhaps you would like to – well, that is to say, if you're not busy one day, perhaps join me for a – well a-a talk or a drink –"

"I would love to," smiled Samantha.

Percival's heart almost fluttered right out of its socket and his loins leaped.

"You _would?_" he said. "I mean – I'm very pleased to hear it …"

"And I am pleased you asked, Sir Percival," she said, battering her lashes in a demure way.

"How could I not? You are so … Hmmm, how do you know my name?"

"All of us know who Sir Percival is," winked Samantha. "Well … I must serve the customers. I shall speak to you soon, I hope."

"Certainly, my lady," said Percival, bowing his head and stunned at his good fortune.

When he made his way back to the table and told them the good news, he was rewarded with roars of approval and a great deal of back-slapping. He stared at the barmaid all night, and she at him, and it was clear this was a meeting that the knight would never forget.

Way into the early hours, the king and his men enjoyed themselves at the tavern, drinking heartily and making merry. Galahad had made rather good friends with the serving girl, Merlin had almost managed to recover from his drinking defeat, Arthur and the knights were reminiscing about old times. All was well in Camelot for now.

But back at the palace, Queen Guinevere was waiting rather anxiously for her husband's return. A messenger had just arrived from the north with an imperative message, one that could not be ignored, no matter how much she wished it could.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Invaders from the East**

Merlin woke the next morning to a throbbing headache and a great groan that emitted from his lips.

"Ohhhh … my head," he moaned loudly.

Gaius appeared at the door with a most unsympathetic look on his face.

"Well, well," he said disapprovingly, "woken up, have you? That will teach you not to drink so much … and don't think for one moment that having a self-inflicted headache is going to get you out of your chores this morning!"

"Urgh … Gaius, I feel terrible …"

"I am aware of that," said Gaius drily. "When you arrived last night, you could barely stand. And singing songs with lines such as, "Merlin the court magician, he'll make true the things you're wishin'" is hardly the behaviour of a sober Merlin. Now hurry up and get dressed – the king has called us all into a meeting. Though how even _he _has managed to drag himself out of bed, I don't know …"

Head still throbbing in the most horrible way, Merlin couldn't recall the last time he had struggled so hard to pull himself out of bed. But eventually, at the insistence of Gaius' constant raps on his door (with the old physician finally losing his temper and throwing a bucket of cold water on his face) Merlin was up and dressed and together they went to see the king.

Arthur looked like death warmed up; his eyes were bloodshot, his skin rather haggard – but there was an grave look in his pupils that Merlin, even in his hung-over state, noticed. Trepidation started to creep through his belly. The knights who had been out last night were also present (with the exception of Sir Erec, who everyone assumed had the worst hangover of them all and couldn't leave his bed) – and looking just as bad, except for Sir Bedren who looked merely aloof.

"The Queen has informed me that a messenger arrived last night with urgent news. I regret to inform you that invaders from the east are making their way towards Camelot as we speak."

"Invaders from the east?" said Gaius worriedly. "What do you mean? Who exactly are they?"

"They are known as the Malsi," replied Arthur. "You may have heard of them. They are extreme radicals who wish to impose their religious and personal beliefs on all nations. Some Malsi are good and decent – but there are a growing number of them who believe that everyone should be under one nation, the Malsi nation, and that all must bow to their beliefs, extreme and cruel that they may be. We have received word that it is their intent to enter our land of Camelot and overthrow myself and the knights; under no circumstances can this be allowed to happen, for we cannot allow them to gain control over our kingdom or out people."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty!" said Sir Percival. "The Knights of Camelot cannot be defeated – and we have magic on our side!"

He gestured to Merlin.

"The knights courage, nor Merlin's power, cannot be faulted," said the king, "but the Malsi are sly and cunning – I am also told that they too have magic on their side. We must be extremely vigilant and prepare for battle. The people must evacuate within the city walls; I am told an army of approximately two thousand is on its way here."

"Two thousand?" said Sir Bedren contemptuously. "We will wipe them out within an hour!"

"We may have more manpower, but do not let your guard down with the Malsi. They are experts in the art of brainwashing – do not think for one moment that they will try this tactic on members of our kingdom. We will try to negotiate for peace at first; if this is unsuccessful, we will engage in combat. Now –"

"YOUR HIGHNESS! YOUR HIGHNESS!"

Everyone swivelled round to see who had let out the horrified shout. It was one of the servent boys – his face was white, his eyes magnified in horror.

"Your Highness, you must come outside! Please – something terrible has happened –"

He dashed off. Without waiting to find out what it was, everyone fled from the meeting chamber and followed the servant outside. The sight that met their eyes caused the blood to be drained from every face.

Sir Erec was lying beneath their feet. He was dead. His body had been brutally savaged; arms and limbs were missing, his head hung to his body by a mere sinew of skin where an axe had attempted to behead it, his eyeballs had been gauged out and his body was drenched with dried blood. He was barely recognizable. Nearby, a chambermaid let out a huge sob; Arthur, Merlin and the knights could not speak; Sir Leon was aghast, his head buried in his hands.

At that moment, there was a great burst of light from in front of them; they shielded their eyes. When they looked back again, a woman stood before them. She was cloaked; about 5'7 with long blonde hair and large, piercing blue eyes. The knights drew their swords. The woman took one look at them and the swords flew from their hands. Everyone backed away.

"Who are you?" said the king, his tone hard.

"My name is Julia," said the woman. Her voice was light, mystical even. Merlin stared at her; at that moment, her gaze locked with his and Merlin felt a sharp, staggering pain shoot through his head that had nothing to do with the alcohol from the night before. He knew this woman from somewhere … but where?"

"What is it you want?" said Arthur.

The woman stared at him; for a moment, no one breathed.

"I want what you want," she said. "Vengeance."


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-three: Julia's Revenge**

The shock of seeing Sir Erec laying there as a bloody, mangled corpse and then being confronted by a mythical woman, who gazed at them so piercingly her gaze could have cut through them like a knife, was enough to make several nearby serving girls faint and the present knights to back away, horror on each of their faces.

"Leon," said Arthur quietly, not taking his eyes off the woman, "take some of the knights and remove Erec's body; cover it at the very least. If he stays here like this it will create panic on the grounds. Go, quickly."

Seasoned warrior though he was, Leon gulped, barely able to look at the disembodied knight on the ground, one whom he had called a friend, who only yesterday had sat with them, laughed and joked with them, who had fought with them and now, it seemed, died for them …

He cleared his throat.

"Percival, Bedren, help me remove the body," he said.

"This is sick, this is sick," Percival was whispering in horror; Bedren could only stand there, his face pale.

"I said help me remove him!" barked Leon. He strode towards the corpse, his bones trembling. The others followed him slowly. Arthur, Merlin, Gaius and the remaining knights continued to stand before the woman.

"Explain yourself," said Arthur finally to the woman. "What are you doing here? What exactly is it that you want."

"I have already told you. I seek vengeance," replied Julia, her voice soft, yet a dangerous edge to it that made the hairs on the back of Merlin's neck stand up.

"Vengeance on whom? Vengeance for what?"

"For the death of my son."

"Who is your son?"

For the first time, the woman's eyes slid downwards to the bloodied corpse which Leon and the others were struggling to lift. Her expression changed in an instant and her voice cried out with a wail that cause shivers for miles around.

"My son! My son whom they killed! The Malsi – I will have my vengeance on the Malsi! They will die, every last one!"

"Erec is your – son?" said Arthur, staggered.

Julia's eyes rose once more; there was a frightening, almost insane, look in her eyes.

"My only child – a faithful knight of Camelot. He never told you his mother was a witch, did he? Yet I am … And you, Emrys." She turned to Merlin. "You know me well. You don't remember where from do you? Well, you shall remember in time …"

Her voice faded away. Leon and the other knights were startled by this revelation and unsure whether to proceed with removing the body. Arthur harshly told them to hurry up; from the look on his face, he was deeply concerned that the woman's mind might snap with insanity at any moment and that his subjects may see the corpse, which would strike fear into the hearts of many.

"You do not know what it is to have a son butchered and then have to see him in death, do you? To give birth to something so precious, only to have it cruelly snatched from you by evil that plagues this world. To know that it was your job to protect him, yet you failed in that duty. I have failed as a mother … but I shall not fail as a sorceress. I will strike down every Malsi that walks this earth! I wish to know if you, Arthur, will be joining me to avenge the death of your knight."

"How do you know it was the Malsi who did this?" said Arthur.

"Only the Malsi murder in such a bloody, brutal way. I felt my son's pain – I felt him cry – I felt him die. I felt all these things and I wanted to die, for his pain as my pain was too much to bear. But I am here and he is not. This is it. There is no middle ground with the Malsi. They must be slaughtered."

"We will find the people who did this to Erec," said Arthur grimly. "I truly am sorry for his death … he was a fine warrior and a good friend. The loss you feel must be astronomical. Rest assured, the people who did this will pay. I am told that a band of Malsi are on their way, we will not allow them inside our walls –"

"The people who did this?" screeched the woman, her eyes flashing like lightning. "ALL Malsi have done this – with their filthy ways, their disgusting beliefs, their imposing, their laws – ALL Malsi must DIE!"

Combined with the shock and horror, everyone looked distinctly alarmed as Julia shrieked at them; her hair stood on end, her eyes had gone a milky white. Arthur stood his ground.

"We will find the perpetrators. I understand that many Malsi still remain in their homeland and are peaceful … but these extremists will be killed, do not fear –"

"NO!" screamed the woman. "ALL MALSI MUST DIE! ALL OF THEM! IF YOU ARE NOT WITH ME, ARTHUR PENDRAGON, THEN YOU WILL DIE ALSO! YOU AND ALL YOUR LOVED ONES WILL DIE! THIS WORLD WILL BE CLEANSED AND EVERY MALSI – MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD – WILL PERISH! THEY WILL FEEL THE PAIN AS I HAVE FELT – AND SO WILL YOU, IF YOU DO NOT STAND WITH ME TODAY!"

"We will not condone the mass murder of an entire nation," said Arthur firmly. "But every effort will be made to ensure that every extremist will be destroyed – this is a promise I can make you. I do not agree with their ways, their laws, their beliefs … from what I have heard, their intolerance and the hatred they preach is a plague on this earth and it must be stopped – but I cannot condone the killing of innocents. Julia – I understand your grief –"

"YOU UNDERSTAND NOTHING!" Julia screamed, her hands preceding her towards Arthur. "YOU HAVE CONDONED THE MURDER OF MY SON – YOU HAVE FAILED TO PROTECT HIM – YOU REFUSE TO DESTROY CAMELOT'S GREATEST THREAT! FOR THIS, ARTHUR PENDRAGON, YOU WILL DIE!"

"Merlin – she is not in her right mind – do something!" hissed Gaius, his voice trembling.

Without thinking twice and before the eyes of everyone on the ground who was staring in sheer horror at the woman who was now surrounded by some kind of mini tornado, her hair billowing everywhere, her eyes switching from white to orange, her pupils enlarged and cat-like, Merlin leapt in front of the king.

"If you want to get to Arthur, you'll have to get through me," he said in a hard tone, his hands outstretched.

Julia's orange eyes blazed at him. Merlin's blue ones flashed at her. The duel for the king's life was about to begin.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty Four: Ghosts From The Past**

"STAND BACK!" Merlin roared.

Those witnessing the events that were unfolding scattered; serving girls shrieked and dived into the castle, stable boys ran for cover behind the trees, the knights held their swords high, shrinking back, ready to attack at any moment that Merlin might need them; Guinevere pulled Gaius into the castle doors as they both looked on with horror; Arthur, however, stepped forward beside the young warlock, his sword yanked from its sheath.

"Whatever quarrel you have is with me, not with Merlin," he said in a powerful, commanding voice. Julia's eyes flashed and a curved smile lit up her features. Merlin reacted in an instant.

"Not today I'm afraid, Arthur!" he yelled.

In a split-second, Arthur was engulfed by what appeared to be a gigantic blue bubble - at the same time the king found himself trapped in this strange air ball, a flash of green light shot from Julia's eyes. The green light bounced off the bubble and hit a nearby tree, which blew up in smoke. The on-lookers watched in sheer terror. Had the bubble not protected Arthur at that exact moment, their king would have been killed.

Merlin turned towards the witch.

"The death of Sir Erec was NOT the fault of King Arthur!" he shouted.

"The fault of your king lies with his inability to produce justice," was the hissing retort. "A weak king, one who cannot understand the necessity of liquidizing an entire nation. Vermin must be disposed with – and it starts with you, Emrys! Your magic may be revered in the land of Camelot, but you are NOTHING compared to me!"

With that, green light flashed again from her eyes, this time towards Merlin – Merlin deflected it just in time with a jet of blue light from his hands; the two lights clashed and an explosive array of beams erupted between them. People all around were screaming and running for cover; Arthur was still immobile in the blue bubble, bashing it fruitlessly with his sword, yelling for Merlin to let him out. Merlin held his hand out in front of him, muttered a few words and, at once, a mini tornado materialized, sweeping furiously towards Julia, who screamed and held out her own hand; there was a great BOOM! and then the tornado was gone. Merlin continued to shoot jets of blue light at Julia, who in turn lifted Merlin's body from the air and slammed him into a wall; Merlin came crashing to the floor, his head badly bruised. Triumphant, Julia made her way towards Arthur – but the sorcerer ran at her, his eyes flashing, a fierce snarl upon his features … He shouted a few words and Julia was blasted off her back. She crumpled to the ground, but it wasn't long before her head was raised once more and she stared at Merlin with pure loathing in her eyes.

"Fine, Emrys … you want to play rough, so be it."

Her eyes pierced Merlin's; at once, the sorcerer was overcome by an excruciating pain in his head … He landed on his knees, his hands holding his head, his face a contortion of agony. Images started to swirl through his mind … No, not just images … Memories … Memories of Morgana … How they laughed together as friends, how she courageously defied Uther to protect the young druid boy who was on the run for his life … how he killed her the first time and the second … Memories of his father dying in his arms, dying to save his son whom he had only just met … Memories of Gaius on the ground, having been attacked by Nimwueh … Memories of Lancelot walking into the vortex, walking to his death in order to save them all … All these images, all these memories spiralling through his mind …

Then she came. Somewhere, in this insane swirl of imagery, he knew she would rise to the surface. Freya. There she was … there was the memory … Together, near Kilgarrah's lair, the two of them talking about how they would run away together, start a life together, just the two of them, forgetting about the world and all its evils, all its battles … Just the two of them together … The kiss they shared … Tears formed in Merlin's eyes … Vaguely, he could hear the shouts of the knights around him … he heard a rush and pounding of feet as one of them yelled and ran forwards, sword swinging, but something had gone wrong as the knight went sprawling to the floor … For Merlin, the memories continued and so did the tears … The memory of Freya transforming into the great cat with wings, cornered, terrified, full of rage and destruction, receiving the ultimate wound that would eventually take her life … And then, Freya's body sailing gently away to a place where she could no longer feel pain or suffering, where she could no longer hurt others or herself, where she could finally be at rest… Merlin's tears spilled in waves, his sobs came out high and choked … Everyone watched in horror, not understanding what was happening.

Then he heard her. Freya's voice. Unable to believe his ears, Merlin opened his soaked eyes. But yes, it was her. Freya. Standing before him, holding out a hand to him. She smiled at him with that sweet beauty he remembered so well …

"I am here," she said in that soft, beautiful voice. "I have returned. It's time to go. Come with me. Finally we can be together."

Merlin could only stare. Truly … She had returned … Freya continued to smile at him … In the distance, he could hear screams and shouts … Why were people screaming and shouting? It didn't fit, not with this beautiful moment …

"Come now. I have been waiting for you. It's time to go."

Time to go? With Freya? Could it truly be? To leave with her, the one he wanted so much, the one he loved so deeply?

But … what about Arthur? Who would be here to take care of Arthur and protect him?

"I – I want to, Freya," he said, his voice sluggish. "But Arthur …"

"Don't worry about Arthur. He will be fine. Your work is done here."

"But Arthur needs me …"

"No, I need you," said Freya, moving closer to him. "Please … please take my hand. Come with me, Emrys."

Emrys?

Freya had never called him Emrys …

In that one moment, Merlin knew what was happening. His head became clearer … Freya's face twisted into a look of rage as she too realized Merlin's apprehension …

Merlin jumped up.

"YOU'RE NOT FREYA!" he screamed. "FREYA IS DEAD! AND WHEN A PERSON IS DEAD, THAT'S WHERE THEY HAVE TO STAY!"

With that, his held out both hands – there was a clap of what sounded like thunder – and the most brilliant yellow beams shot from his fingertips. Freya screamed and Merlin caught a glimpse of Julia's face before she was frazzled to bits. Moments later, the only remains of the witch were her cloak and a mound of ashes on the ground.


End file.
